Stalker
by Acting-Singing-Bella
Summary: Troy Bolton has it all; fame, a promising career and a loving family. But when a crazed stalker threatens to take it all away, what will Troy do?
1. Life in the Fab Lane

**Stalker**

**Author's Note: ****Hey everyone! Here I am presenting the birth of my newest story called Stalker! I will only continue with this story if I get six or more reviews. If not, then I will delete this story. So read and review!**

**Summary: ****Troy Bolton has it all; fame, a promising career and a loving family. But when a crazed stalker threatens to take it all away, what will Troy do?**

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_There is a fine line between serendipity and stalking.__  
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_-__David Coleman_

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"I loved you. I would've given up everything for you if you had asked me. How could you throw it all away and then have the decency to hurt me like this? For something I did five years ago?! You're not the woman I once loved." He demanded, with a pained passion in his blue eyes. The beautiful blonde woman shook her head as she placed both her hands on his face, getting him to look her in the eye. She couldn't lose him like this.

"Please don't go. I know I've lied and deceived you, but I love you! I never stopped loving you! Isn't that enough?!" The blonde woman demanded. The blue eyed man shook his head and he took her hands off his face. There was no end in sight.

"You murdered the only woman I ever loved. You killed the only woman I ever loved since you tore my life apart! The only way I can rebuild my broken heart is to live the rest of my life knowing that you are dead too." He said, pulling out a gun. The woman gasped in shock. He was crazy; he was going to kill her.

"Please don't kill me! Please, I'm sorry!" She pleaded with tears in her eyes. But he showed no remorse as he lifted his gun, straight at her.

"It's too late." He hissed out. As she bowed her head to hide the tears and accept her fate, he rested his finger on the trigger. And then very slowly with his finger, he began to pull it…

"CUT! That's a wrap!" Director Wayne Sullivan called out. Actors Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans burst into laughing after doing such a dramatic scene together. The two had been friends for years and this was now their third movie that they have done together. Being famous Hollywood actors, it became difficult to maintain friendships but Troy was close to Sharpay and he looked at her as nothing more than just a sister. Troy was also very close to her twin brother Ryan Evans who was also in this film.

"Great job Troy! Nice work Sharpay. Troy, you have to be here tomorrow for late night shooting and Miss Evans, you're going to be here all day with your brother to film the murder scene." Wayne informed his two lead actors. The two nodded in agreement as they sat in their chairs, sipping their cold bottles of water. Sharpay looked over at the man she considered as her older brother.

"Nice work today Troy. You actually had me terrified when you pulled that gun out." Sharpay joked as she sipped her water. Troy grinned as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's my job Sharp. I would've felt bad for you, but your character cheated on me with my best friend, chased me down in my car and then killed my girlfriend. I'm glad my character gets to kill you in the end." Troy smugly said.

Troy was only twenty-seven years of age, but he was one of Hollywood's most famous actors. He already won two Oscars for his incredible performances in movie dramas. Now, he was filming an action film, something he had wanted very early on in his career. With his sandy brown hair, sapphire eyes that everyone killed for and his generous and laidback personality, he was Hollywood's most loved celebrity. He never got into any trouble and he was very well respected by several other celebrities. Sharpay was also twenty-seven like Troy, and she met Troy when she was in high school and they, along with her twin brother, had the same acting coach and they all became famous together and they refused to let the fame go to their heads.

"Well you're just rude. Speaking of best friend where is that lazy assistant of yours?" Sharpay sarcastically asked. That moment, Chad Danforth, Troy personal assistant and best friend arrived with two French vanilla coffees for the two stars. Chad was Troy's best friend since they were both in diapers and when Troy got his first acting job, he asked Chad to be his personal assistant and Chad has worked for Troy ever since, due to their friendship and good pay.

"The lazy assistant is here with your coffees. So Troy, you have to be here tomorrow night at seven o'clock sharp for fittings and makeup. And don't forget that you have that Hollywood party that you're attending tonight so I suggest you go home now to your lovely wife and begin to get ready for this party. And yes, Taylor and I will be babysitting Ethan. We'll be at the house at six." Chad informed his best friend as he gave Troy the lowdown on what would be happening. Troy smiled when he thought of his family. He sure did love his family.

"Troy Bolton's blushing again!" Sharpay teased, causing Chad to laugh and mock Troy as well. Troy rolled his eyes as he got up from his chair and he prepared to go home.

"I'll see you both later." Troy said as he left the set to go home to his loving family.

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Troy's wife, Gabriella Montez was only twenty-six but she had just as much talent as he had. She was a well-respected singer and a supermodel with a killer body. They met in high school several years before. Due to her academic excellence, Gabriella was put up a grade which made her the youngest in the grade. Troy and Gabriella had dated all four years of high school and all four years of university. When Gabriella turned twenty, she had gotten her first modeling and singing job while Troy got his first acting job. Even though they were both busy with their newfound careers and successes, the two made time for each other. Finally, when Troy was twenty-two and Gabriella was twenty-one they got married. Their wedding was known as 'the wedding of the century' by several tabloids. A year after their wedding, Gabriella gave birth to their first son named Ethan Michael Bolton. Ethan was now four years old and he looked almost identical to his father. The only thing he had of his mother was her chocolate brown eyes.

"Mom is Uncle Chad and Aunt Taylor going to watch me tonight?" Ethan asked his mother as she began to put on the outfit that Ethan helped her pick out. Gabriella looked over at her son and she nodded her head as she ran a hand through his sandy brown hair that resembled his father's.

"Yes they're coming over at six. Your father should be home soon." Gabriella assured Ethan. Moments later, the front door swung open and Troy entered their mansion. He walked up the stairs and he entered his bedroom where Ethan sat on their bed and Gabriella was in her overflowing closet. Ethan looked over at his father and a smile erupted in his face.

"Daddy!" Ethan cried happily as he jumped off the bed and ran to his father. Troy opened his arms and he wrapped his muscular arms around his son as he picked him up and held him close to his chest.

"Hey buddy. You helping mommy pick something out to where?" Troy asked his son affectionately. Ethan smiled and nodded his head.

"Yes I did. Mommy looks really pretty." Ethan told his father. Before Troy could say anything, Gabriella emerged from her closet. Her beauty stunned Troy as he saw her. Gabriella wore a sleek black strapless dress and black open toe heels. She kept her black jewelry simple and her wavy hair was clasped up into an up-do. Troy was at a loss of words; she was so beautiful and could barely believe that he had been married to this woman for five years.

"Wow." Troy managed to say after staring at her in awe. Gabriella smiled shyly as she walked over to her husband and son.

"I'm assuming you approve." Gabriella suggested as she took her husband's side. Troy smiled lovingly at his wife as he lifted his free hand to cup her cheek into his hand. His thumb gently caressed her cheek as he continued to smile at her.

"You look beautiful." Troy truthfully told Gabriella. Gabriella smiled as she moved into the feel of his hand. She looked over at the little boy in her husband's arms and she took him into her arms.

"Thanks for helping me pick out my outfit Ethan." Gabriella thanked her son as she kissed his cheek softly.

"Your welcome mommy." Ethan whispered into her ear. Gabriella put her son down and he left the bedroom to play in his playroom. Troy quickly dressed into his tuxedo and Chad and Taylor soon arrived and Gabriella and Troy left for the party.

By the time they arrived, paparazzi and obsessed fans were already screaming for Troy and Gabriella. Troy snaked his arm around his wife's waist and he held her close to him as cameras were flashing before them and fans were screaming for them to see them. Troy and Gabriella smiled for the cameras and they stayed close to each other as they ascended up the red carpet. When interviewers started to call them, the couple parted and they began to do their interviews. As she was being asked several mindless questions about her album and modeling, Gabriella couldn't help but notice the number of male fans that were screaming for her and begging for her to give them an autograph. After shaking the interviewer's hand, Gabriella went to sign some autographs for the group of men, hoping they would stop the screaming.

"Gabriella, you look sexy!" One of the men called out as she was signing autographs. Gabriella just smiled and said thanks. She heard several men tell that on a daily basis and she just let it pass.

"That should do gentlemen. Stay cool." Gabriella calmly said as she began to walk away. Before she could even lift her foot, one of the men grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to them.

"Where do you think you're going? You're coming home with us baby!" The man huskily said. Gabriella tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but it was no use; he was too strong.

"Let me go now!" Gabriella demanded. When two other men grabbed her other wrist, she knew it was time for her to start panicking. She was afraid now.

"Feisty little wildcat you are! It'll be all the more interesting back at my place." The second man drunkenly told her. The third man grinned as well.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt, so you may want to come without a fight. No need to involve your husband and that sweet little boy of yours." The third man threatened as he began to pull her in closer to the three of them. They all had their hands around her waist, pulling her away from the red carpet and away from Troy.

"Troy! Troy help! TROY!" Gabriella screamed in a panic as she tried to hit and push the men off her. Before Gabriella even knew it, she was suddenly dropped to the ground, and the sudden motion and sound of people being punched was above her. She looked up from the ground and she saw Troy pushing and punching the three men away from them. The three men, injured and beaten, ran off and left Troy and Gabriella. Troy turned to his wife and he offered a hand to help her up. Gabriella interlaced his hand with hers as he helped her up. When she was back on the ground, Troy wrapped her up in his arms as he breathed heavily in her ears.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked, looking into her eyes. Gabriella, trying to keep herself from shaking, nodded her head with wide and shocked eyes.

"Yeah I'm fine. Do you mind if we go? You can stay if you want but I'm going to go." Gabriella told Troy, her voice shaking and her hands trembling. Troy shook his head as he took his jacket off and placed it over her shoulders.

"No, I'm not going to stay. Come on let's go." Troy said as he ushered his wife back to the lot where their limo was waiting for them.

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Troy and Gabriella entered their house and they could hear the television blasting from their recreation room. Troy knew that Chad was probably having more fun playing Wii than Ethan and Taylor at that moment. When they both entered the room, no one even noticed that they were even back home due to the loudness of the television. It was Taylor who realized that they were back and she turned off the Wii, causing Chad and Ethan to look at her in shock but then they realized why she had done it.

"You two are back early!" Taylor exclaimed as she hugged her best friend. Gabriella nodded her head as she released Taylor.

"Yeah, the male fans got a little too aggressive." Gabriella hinted. Taylor nodded her head in understanding as Ethan ran over to his father and was instantly picked up.

"Daddy, guess what?! Uncle Chad told me where babies came from!" Ethan exclaimed happily. Both Troy and Gabriella glared at Chad who shrugged his shoulders with a guilty smile.

"He asked and I told him." Chad said in defense. Gabriella looked at her son and she pushed his hair behind his ear.

"Where did he say babies came from?" Gabriella asked, to make sure that Chad didn't really tell him.

"Uncle Chad said that I grew from a seed in the garden. Is that true mommy?" Ethan asked as he stared into his mom's eyes. Gabriella smiled weakly and she nodded her head.

"Yes it's true." Gabriella said. Gabriella and Troy were about to take Ethan to bed and dismiss Taylor and Chad, but Taylor offered to have Ethan stay the night with them. Taylor said that since Troy and Gabriella came home early from the party, they should have a night alone together. After briefly talking it through, Gabriella and Troy allowed Ethan to spend the night at Chad and Taylor's.

Once they both left, Gabriella went into their bathroom that adjoined their bedroom while Troy checked some of his fan mail. Troy had several letters from fans telling him how much they admire him and how he is a role model to them. Then there were a few that told him he didn't deserve to be married to Gabriella and a few saying that he was a waste of air. Troy chucked those letters into his trash can as he striped down to his boxers and he sat on the edge of the bed. Gabriella entered the bedroom, wearing her pink silk nightgown. She saw her husband sitting on the edge of their bed and she crawled onto the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his back tight against her chest. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and rested her chin in the crook of his neck.

"What are you thinking about?" Gabriella asked. Troy sighed as he looked at her.

"I was thinking about why I let those guys live. I should've ripped them apart." Troy told her, his rage slowly rising. Gabriella hushed him and she allowed her hand to run through his hair.

"No you shouldn't have. They were just a bunch of scum bags and you did the right thing by not hurting them." Gabriella assured him. Troy shook his head again.

"They hurt you Gabriella. They were going to do worse. If they had hurt you I don't know what I'd do. I just…" Troy said but then his voice trailed when he thought about the possibility. Gabriella kissed his shoulder and then kissed his temple.

"Troy, we knew what would happen by having all the paparazzi and fans coming after us. This is all part of the job description. Just let it go. I'm fine and so are you. We have each other." Gabriella assured him once more. Troy sighed before looking at her. She just had a way of making him forget his worries. It drove him crazy half the time but he loved her for it.

"We always will." Troy told her lovingly. Gabriella smiled back at her husband with a seductive grin.

"Now that we're alone, I think I should probably tell you about my modeling shots I just took today." Gabriella seductively told him. Troy turned around completely, so he could see her lovely brown eyes.

"Should I be worried about anyone seeing them?" Troy asked with a grin. Gabriella had a smug grin on her face as she pulled Troy in close to her.

"Baby you're going to see a lot more of me than anyone will see in those photos." Gabriella whispered sexily as she captured her husband's lips with her own. Troy's hand held her face as his other hand pushed her down onto the bed and they continued to kiss each other passionately as Troy got on top of her. Troy's lips never left Gabriella's as his arm reached over and turned off their lamp and Gabriella showed Troy just how much sexier she was than her modeling photos.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Six or more reviews if you want this story to continue!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	2. Number One Fan

**Number One Fan**

**Author's Note: ****Hey guys! So here is the second chapter of my story. It's still a little early to say whether I'll be continuing it, but by the looks of it so far, it's coming along pretty good. So keep reviewing! Six or more for an update!**

**Chapter Summary: ****After an encounter with Gabriella's 'number one fan' Troy can't help but find something suspicious about the way he talked about Gabriella.**

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_Fans tend to get too excited by streaks of either kind and I think the press does too. There should be a happy medium.__  
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_-__Walt Alston_

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It had been three months since the Hollywood party fiasco and both Troy and Gabriella were busy with their work. Troy worked five days a week on his film while Gabriella was promoting her latest album and doing her modeling. They often made time for each other and Ethan, but they often were exhausted and stressed due to the amount of work they had been doing. When Troy was up all night filming, Gabriella was at home sleeping with Ethan. When Troy would come home in the morning to get some sleep that was when Gabriella would get up to go to work. They were both always on different time tables and they both felt like they hardly saw each other.

On a warm Saturday, Troy and Gabriella finally had the same day off and the two went out to lunch with Ethan. Troy and Gabriella were regulars at this little restaurant and they were familiar with all the workers and they always knew what they ordered. Due to the warm weather, the Bolton family sat on the outside patio with several other people. After ordering water for all the Bolton's, the family soon found that people were beginning to recognize them and were taking out the camera on their phones and were taking photos of them. But the family remained calm and said nothing about it and just waited patiently for their waiter to serve them. Finally, a waiter named Philip came to serve them.

"Hello Troy, Gabriella and Ethan. Nice to see you three here, I haven't seen you all in awhile." Philip happily exclaimed. The family smiled in return and greeted Philip.

"How's it going Phil?" Troy asked casually. Philip smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Same old, same old. Anyway, what can I get you?" Philip asked as he took out his pen and notepad. Ethan looked at the menu and then he looked at Phil who was waiting for his menu.

"I'll have the kiddy burger and fries please." Ethan informed him. Philip took down the order and then turned to Troy with a knowing smirk.

"And I'll bet you're going to have the club sandwich with a side of fries." Philip said with a smirk. Troy smiled and nodded his head. He had been known to come here a lot and he normally ordered the same thing each time.

"You know me well Phil." Troy complimented. Phil quickly wrote down the order and he then turned to Gabriella who was staring at her menu in a deep thought.

"What about you Gabriella? Just a garden salad as usual?" Phil asked, about to write the order down. Gabriella shook her head and stopped him from writing down anything.

"Actually, I'll just have the olive pizza with a side of fries please." Gabriella asked with a shy smile. Both Phil and Troy raised their eyebrows. Gabriella always ordered a salad and was always making sure that her body was in top shape for the runway…and she was supposed to maintain that tiny frame of hers by eating pizza and fries?

"That's a shocker. I'll be right up with your orders." Phil said quickly as he left to give the chef their orders. The three were in a silence for a few moments before Troy broke the ice.

"So olive pizza and fries?" Troy asked jokingly with raised eyebrows. Gabriella smiled as she shrugged her shoulders with a coy smile.

"It's not that big of a deal. I just really felt like having it today." Gabriella stated. Ethan sipped his water and then took his mother's hand that was resting gently on the top of the table.

"But don't you have to model mom?" Ethan asked. Gabriella stared at her son and she bit her lip and eventually cracked a sly smile. She had special news that she wanted to tell her husband and son.

"I actually have an announcement to make in regard to my modeling." Gabriella stated. Troy looked over at his wife and he leaned in closer to her.

"What's the news?" Troy asked. Gabriella smiled and looked at the two special men in her life.

"I'm going to be taking a break from modeling. I was recently promoted a new job until I go back to the runway. I'm coming out with my own clothing and handbag line next fall." Gabriella announced with an ecstatic smile on her face. Troy smiled proudly of his wife. He knew how much she wanted to start designing clothes and handbags, but the opportunity never came up. She was always given the offer when she was in the midst of fashion week. Troy was proud to know that his wife would finally get the job she had wanted to do.

"Congratulations Gabby. I'm so proud of you." Troy told her as he gave her a quick peck on the lips. Ethan hugged his mother and congratulated her as well. Several moments after, their meals arrived. As they indulged in their meals, they were interrupted by a man standing beside Gabriella and he was silently smiling at her.

The man was about 6'0 inches tall and appeared to weigh between a hundred and eighty-five pounds or a hundred and ninety pounds. He appeared to be forty-five years old. He had tanned skin and pale blue eyes. His eyes were not the same color blue as Troy's. Troy's eyes were a vibrant blue whereas this man had eyes like two pieces of ice. They looked cold and hard. He had light brown shaggy hair that was two shades lighter than Troy and Ethan's hair. He has a square jaw that made his face look severe and tense. On his buff arm, Troy noticed a tattoo of a Chinese dragon and the Latin proverb 'quod me nutrit me destruit' which means 'what nourishes me destroys me' underneath the dragon. He had slightly flawed teeth but they were perfectly white. He stared at Gabriella, with affectionate and devoted eyes.

"Hi Ms. Montez…my name is Victor Costello. I'm your number one fan and I really admire you." Victor said, unable to take his eyes off of her. Gabriella smiled sweetly as she shook the man's hand in politeness.

"It's nice to meet you Victor. And I'm flattered that you're a fan of mine." Gabriella said. Victor held onto her hand and he refused to let it go as he continued to stare into her chocolate brown eyes.

"My god, you are much more beautiful in person. I have all your photos framed in my room. I got those photos of you in that little black bikini right beside my bed so it can feel like you're there." Victor told her, still not releasing her hand. Gabriella looked over at Troy with wide and afraid eyes. She looked back at Victor and she nodded her head, slowly taking her hand out of his.

"I'm glad to hear it." Gabriella awkwardly said.

"I even have them in my wallet! You want to see?" Victor asked as he began to get his wallet. Gabriella shook her head and looked away from him.

"It's okay I remember." Gabriella insisted. But Victor did not prevail; he put the picture in her face.

"I think you look pretty sexy here. Your hair is all fierce and messy. And your body…I would tap…" Victor began to say but Troy clenched his fist and he banged the table, causing everyone to stop and stare. His eyes were fierce and angered.

"I think that's enough, Victor. If you'll excuse me, my wife and son are going to be leaving now." Troy hissed as he left money on the table and he grabbed the hands of his son and wife and they ran for their car. As they drove away, what they did not realize was that Victor took a picture of their license plate with his camera phone. Looking at the license, he then called the car insurance company.

"Hi, I would just like to report that I caused some damage to a car with the license TGE 123. I would like the phone numbers and address so I can repay them…"

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"And cut! Twenty minute break people!" Wayne's voice boomed throughout the set. Troy left the set and he sat in his chair, Chad waiting to give him his water bottle. Troy sipped the mineral water and he turned to Chad.

"So Gabriella, Ethan and I went out to lunch today and Gabriella told us she's going to be designing now." Troy stated. Chad nodded his head with a proud smile.

"I know, Taylor told me about it. She must be excited." Chad said with a smile. Troy nodded his head, his mind distant.

"She is and I'm proud of her. But when we were at lunch today, the weirdest fan came up to Gabriella today. He looked like he was in his mid-forties and he was telling Gabriella that he had pictures of her in a bikini in his wallet and all over his room. And he wouldn't let go of her hand either. It was almost like he wasn't a fan. It was almost like her was…" Troy began to say but then his voice trailed off, unsure of what to describe it with. Chad raised his eyebrows.

"Like he was in love with her?" Chad asked skeptically. Troy nodded his head as he looked at him.

"That's exactly what it was like! For a moment, it was like he was trying to get it through her head that he wanted to be with her." Troy confessed with seriousness in his eyes. Chad shook his head and placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Dude, you're looking into this too much. Millions of men are in love with Gabriella as millions of women are in love with you. You just got to remember that jealousy is the main factor of what ruins most Hollywood marriages." Chad informed his best friend. Before Troy could even argue back, Wayne called all the actors back to set to finish up the scene. As Troy was doing his lines, he couldn't help but think about Victor.

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Back home, Gabriella and Ethan were in her design studio, working on some ideas for Gabriella's new line. Ethan helped her pick the fabrics and he offered the ideas to his creative mother. As much as Gabriella loved work, she loved to spend time with her son more. When she had to work at home or get ready for a big event, she always tried to get him involved. Whether it was helping her choose and outfit for the red carpet or choose some fashion ideas for her designs, she made sure that Ethan was there to help her decide.

"I like that lavender color. Thanks Ethan!" Gabriella exclaimed as she took the purple fabric from Ethan's tiny hands. Ethan gladly gave her the fabric and he offered a smile.

"Your welcome. Mommy?" Ethan began to ask.

"Yes baby?" Gabriella asked in return as she began to measure the fabric.

"Do you think daddy's a stud?" Ethan asked. Gabriella looked up in shock, unable to think of what to say in return to that. Where he got that idea from, she will never know.

"Well…I think your father is very good looking." Gabriella safely said. Ethan only nodded his head and he began to look through the fabrics once more. As Gabriella began to sketch some ideas, she suddenly felt uneasy and dizzy. She sat on the floor so she could keep her head steady.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Ethan asked as he came to his mother's side. Gabriella took two deep breaths and she nodded her head, slowly getting up from the ground. She couldn't explain the sudden vertigo she felt but she felt a little bit better then.

"I'm fine. Listen, I'm going to go have a shower okay toots? I'll be very quick and we can finish up okay." Gabriella told him. Ethan nodded his head and before leaving the room, Gabriella placed a kiss on his cheek. Several moments after Gabriella left to have a warm shower, the phone began to ring. Ethan ran for the phone and he pressed the talk button, just like his daddy taught him to do whenever the phone rings.

"Hello?" Ethan answered politely.

"Is Gabriella there?" A low voice asked.

"She's in the shower." Ethan said. There was a silence for several moments; all Ethan could hear was heavy breathing. Finally, the person on the other end sighed and then spoke.

"I'll call back later." And with that said, the line went dead. Ethan shrugged his little shoulders and he hung up the phone and went back to looking through his mother's fabrics.

Little did Ethan know, Victor was right outside his house just waiting to break in and see Gabriella…

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Okay so that was chapter two with a lovely cliffhanger! The only way I'll update is if I get six or more reviews. Oh and if you all want to imagine Victor better, than look up the actor Brian Van Holt. He is most famous for playing the psychotic killer in 2005's 'House of Wax' with Chad Michael Murray, Elisha Cuthbert and Paris Hilton. Thanks guys!**_

_**Alanna xo **_


	3. Get Off My Property

**Get Off My Property **

**Author's Note:****Hi everyone. So here is chapter three of my story and I am so thankful for all your reviews and I'm hoping that you like it so far. I had just watched 'The Strangers' recently and I got inspired for this chapter and for the intro quote. R&R to continue!**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy gets home from work and attends to his wife and son and hopes to spend a little time with his wife. But a disturbing discovery ruins Troy's night completely.**

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_Why are you doing this to us? –Kristen McKay  
Because you were home. – Dollface _

_-The Strangers _

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Troy turned his radio off as he entered the driveway of his LA mansion. He hated doing night-time shooing because he normally got home when Ethan and Gabriella were asleep. He hated not being able to tell Ethan a bedtime story and tuck him into bed and he loved to talk to his wife before she would go to bed. And Troy was an honest person; he loved his sex life with Gabriella. He knew that since they were both famous and they would have to make more time for each other, they would have to keep their relationship interesting for both of them. Luckily for him, Troy got home at eight thirty; knowing his wife and son, it was still early for both Ethan and Gabriella to be up in bed. He was hoping to see them up and about when he would walk into his home.

As Troy got out of his car, he heard something move in the bushes. He froze and turned abruptly. He could've sworn he heard something in the shrubs. The wind may have blown it, but from where Troy was standing, there was barely any wind. Troy automatically began to fear the worst as he took two giant steps towards the shrubs, trying to be as silent as he could. He could hear more vividly the sounds of a live figure moving and rustling through the bushes. Troy was two steps in front of the shrubs and froze when he heard something…or someone…moving closer and closer towards him. Troy picked up a stick and clutched it when the steps became closer and louder. Troy braced himself when suddenly…a raccoon ran out of the bushes and bolted past Troy. Troy let out a sigh of relief and he laughed at his own paranoia and walked into his house.

As soon as Troy entered his home, he saw that all the lights were on and he could hear the TV in the room upstairs. Troy half ran up the stairs and he entered the TV room and he saw Ethan's eyes glued to the screen as Gabriella slept on the couch. Gabriella wore Troy's red boxers as well as his t-shirt and he couldn't help but notice how pale and fragile she looked as she slept on the couch. Troy knew that something was up.

"Hey Ethan." Troy greeted from the doorway of the room. Ethan looked away from the screen and he ran over to his dad and was instantly picked up by Troy.

"Hi daddy. What scene did you do today?" Ethan asked his dad, always curious about what his father was doing during his day job. Troy smiled at his son and placed a fatherly kiss on his cheek.

"Well Ethan…today we did a scene where daddy got to throw Uncle Ryan out a car." Troy told his son with a smirk. Ethan's little eyes widened and they softened as well.

"Did Uncle Ryan get hurt?" Ethan asked with concern in his voice. Ethan looked so concerned for Ryan's wellbeing, Troy almost had to laugh. Of course Ryan was okay; it was a stuntman that was thrown out the window. He was perfectly trained and he was attached to a cable. No one was hurt. But in Ethan's four year old mind, he thought Ryan was thrown out of a car and was seriously injured. Troy would have to clarify for him.

"No Uncle Ryan was fine. He was laughing after. Hey buddy, is your mom okay?" Troy asked, looking over at Gabriella who still slept on the couch without moving a muscle. Ethan looked back at his mother and then looked back into his father's eyes.

"Mommy didn't feel well today. She started throwing up and she says she has a fever. She fell asleep on the couch. I think she got what I had." Ethan said. Ethan had the flu a week and a half before and it was believable that Gabriella came down with the flu. Troy nodded his head.

"Thanks bud. Its getting late and you should get to bed. I'm just going to see if mommy's okay and then I'll be up to read you a bedtime story okay?" Troy asked his son. Ethan nodded his head with a smile.

"Okay daddy. I love you." Ethan told his dad. Troy smiled proudly as he hugged his son. He then placed a kiss on his downy cheek.

"I love you too buddy." Troy told his son as he put him down on the floor and watched as Ethan left the room and ran to his bedroom.

Troy turned to look at his sleeping wife and sighed. Just by looking at her, he knew that she had the flu. He had the flu several times in his life and he had seen Gabriella have the stomach flu before. It was obviously the stomach flu. With a sympathetic sigh, Troy walked over to the couch. He got down on his knee in front of his wife and he just stared at her. As sick as she looked, she was still the most beautiful person in his eyes. He leaned himself in closer and he kissed the hollow of her neck as gently as he could. As soon as his lips left her neck, Gabriella began to stir until her eyes slowly opened. Her brown eyes were shockingly vibrant despite her sudden sickness. She turned on her left side and she faced Troy with a weak smile.

"Hi." Gabriella weakly mumbled to her husband. Troy smiled weakly in return and he placed his hand on her cheek and he gently stroked it with his thumb.

"Are you okay? Ethan told me that you were throwing up." Troy said, his thumb still caressing her cheek. Gabriella sighed and nodded her head, beginning to shut her eyes again.

"After I had my shower I felt violently ill. I guess I'm just a little under the weather. What time is it?" Gabriella asked, moving into the feel of Troy's hand. Troy looked at the grandfather clock and it read quarter to nine at night.

"Fifteen to nine." Troy informed Gabriella. Gabriella's eyes shot open and her eyes became frantic.

"It's almost nine! Damn it, I barely have any of my designs done. I gave to work on them now!" Gabriella panicked as she began to get up from the couch. Troy blocked her before she could get any further. She tried to get past him, but he was obviously stronger than she was and he dominated over her.

"There is not a chance in hell that I am letting you work while you're sick. Your designs can wait; you need your rest. Come on, let's get you to bed." Troy said as he picked her up and held her like a baby as they walked to their master bedroom. Troy placed his wife down on the bed and he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I want you to rest. I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm just going to get ready for bed. When I come back, I'll give you a massage and help you relax a little. I'll see you in a few, babe." Troy assured her as he walked into the bathroom that adjoined their bedroom. Gabriella sighed as she rested on their bed. She placed a hand on her stomach and tried to breathe evenly. She had never felt so sick before on such a short notice. She took several deep breathes when the phone suddenly rang. She stretched a hand over to her night table and she answered the phone.

"Hello?" Gabriella answered tiredly.

"Look outside your window." A low and eerie voice demanded as the line went dead. Gabriella looked at the phone in confusion and she got up from her bed and walked over to her window. She pushed the curtain out of the way and she looked out the window. And below her, on the lawn, was Victor standing there just watching her. He smiled eerily and he waved at Gabriella. Gabriella's eyes widened in fear. How did he get their home number and address? Why was he there? Was he going to hurt her? Was he going to hurt her family? Gabriella slowly backed away from the window and was having trouble trying to catch her breath. She couldn't function properly and only feared the worst. Suddenly, she bumped into someone who wrapped two strong arms around her body. Gabriella immediately screamed in terror.

"Gabriella, calm down it's just me." Troy's voice came from behind her as he placed a kiss on her shoulder. Gabriella turned around in his arms and she wrapped her arms around him, allowing tears of fear to fall from her eyes and onto his bare chest.

"Troy…" Gabriella whimpered. Troy looked down at his wife in worry. Something was not right.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Troy asked, capturing her face in between his hands and made her look into his eyes. Gabriella stared into his sapphire eyes and she couldn't help but shake and quiver in fear. If Troy wasn't holding her face, she was certain her head would've fallen off.

"Do you remember that weird man at the restaurant today?" Gabriella asked, her voice shaking. Troy nodded his head ad cringed at the thought.

"I remember." Troy stated coldly.

"Well he's outside our window! And he has our phone number! Troy I'm scared." Gabriella whimpered, pulling Troy closer to her body. Troy was paralyzed in fear. Victor got their home number and their home address. How did he get that information? They were both celebrities and their information was protected. Troy looked down at his wife that was sobbing in his arms and a sudden wave of fear took him over. He couldn't lose her or his son. He refused to let that happen. Troy slowly released Gabriella from his arms and he put a shirt on.

"Gabriella, listen to me. I'm going to go out there and get him to leave. I want you to get Ethan and stay in here. Don't leave this room until I get back." Troy told her.

"No Troy! I don't want to lose you." Gabriella pleaded. Troy quickly kissed Gabriella and shook his head.

"You won't." Troy assured her powerfully as he left the bedroom and stormed out of the house. Before locking the front door with his key, Troy ventured through his lawn to find Victor. He was as silent as a mouse as he looked for victor. Finally he found Victor just below his bedroom window, throwing pebbles at the window. Troy couldn't hold in his silence; he had to make himself get noticed.

"Hey you! Get off my property!" Troy yelled as he stomped over to Victor. Victor stopped throwing the pebbles and he turned to face Troy completely. An evil smirk crossed Victor's face.

"Well hello Troy. I am so thrilled to see you." Victor sneered, approaching Troy. Troy stared at him in disgust and he grabbed Victor by the collar of his shirt.

"How the hell did you get our number and address?" Troy demanded, hissing through his teeth. Victor grinned that evil grin and he shoved a hand into his pocket.

"When you left me standing there at the restaurant, I took a picture of your license plate and I called the insurance company. They, of course, told me that they couldn't reveal anything because your information was protected. So, I drove down there myself and with an old FBI badge that belonged to my identical twin brother, I told them that this was an investigation and they gave me all the information, thinking that the FBI was investigating a conspiracy attack against you and your lovely wife." Victor explained, evil still in his eyes. Troy tightened the grip on Victor's collar as he resisted punching him.

"You're sick. You can get off my property now, or I will call the cops." Troy threatened as he roughly let go of Victor's collar. Victor shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Troy's.

"No. I'm not leaving. Not until I have Gabriella." Victor said, no emotion in his eyes or voice. It was like Victor just punched Troy in the face. He feared that Victor would say that.

"Get off my property and leave my wife alone or I will kill you myself." Troy threatened, his voice harsh and livid. Victor shook his head again and he charged at Troy.

"NO!" Victor yelled as he charged towards Troy. Troy did what his instinct told him to do; he clenched his hands up into a ball and he punched Victor in the face. Victor backed away, cursing in pain. He looked back at Troy, with blood pouring out of his nose.

"To hell with you!" Victor cursed as he ran off the lawn and off their property.

Troy stood outside for five minutes to make sure he wouldn't come back. When he was finally convinced that he was gone, Troy walked back in and he bolted up the stairs and into his room. The first thing he saw was Gabriella sitting on the bed with a sleeping Ethan in her arms. She held him with her life. She could only fear that she would lose him. Fear was all in her eyes.

"Is he gone?" Gabriella asked in fear. Troy walked to her side of the bed and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"He's gone. We'll be okay." Troy assured her. Gabriella nodded her head as Troy walked around to his side of the bed and crawled in under the blankets. He threw his muscular arm around both his son and his wife and he held them close to his chest. Gabriella struggled to fall asleep, but slumber soon took her over. Troy stayed up a little longer, worrying about the safety of his family. He had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he would see Victor.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Well there was chapter three! If you want more, please read and review. And if you would like to see something happen, I'll see what I can do to corporate that into the story! **_

_**Alanna xo**_


	4. Second Encounter

**Second Encounter**

**Author's Note: ****Howdy everyone! I posted some links on my profile if you want to see what Ethan, Philip, Victor and others look like. So I would also like to say that your reviews are making me smile, which is motivating me to write more of my chapters, which is probably a good thing for you guys. But it will only remain that way if you continue to read and review this story. **

**Chapter Summary: ****Trying to put the previous day's events behind them, Troy and Gabriella go out to spend a little bit of time together. But this little excursion is ruined when Victor returns to put Gabriella's life in jeopardy.**

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_We know the road to freedom has always been stalked by death._

_-Angela Davis_

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The next day, Troy and Gabriella were trying to get over what had happened. Neither Troy nor Gabriella had to deal with stalkers or fans following them home and they didn't know how to react to the situation. Troy had arranged to change their home number so Victor wouldn't call them again and Troy and Gabriella began looking around at houses so they could move but still stay in that same neighborhood. Even though the incident only happened once, but they were not going to risk the life of their son and themselves. As much as they feared victor, they loved their neighborhood and couldn't bear to say goodbye to it. They wanted Ethan to grow up in a familiar home and they refused to move several times. They wanted Ethan to have some stability. A few homes that looked almost identical to their mansion and Troy and Gabriella left Ethan with Ryan and Sharpay as they went to look at the houses.

Troy and Gabriella fell in love with the mansions that was an exact replica of their home but was six mansions away from theirs. It had the same long driveway; same warm and safe feeling and it reminded Troy and Gabriella of midsummer nights because of how romantic it was. They wanted to purchase it, but they wanted to talk the move out with Ethan. It wouldn't have been fair to keep him out of the loop. After looking at all the houses with the real estate agent, Troy and Gabriella went grocery shopping. Though they might have been hiding in the bushes, Troy and Gabriella were relieved to know that the paparazzi weren't following them. They could only handle so many people following them at once. Troy and Gabriella grabbed a cart and started to walk down the aisles, looking for the food that they needed to stock their kitchen with. They were walking down the dairy products aisle and were greeted by Philip, who was doing some grocery shopping of his own.

"Hey you two! It's good to see you both." Philip cheerfully said as he engulfed Gabriella into a hug and shook Troy's hand.

"How are you doing Phil?" Troy asked casually. Philip shrugged his shoulders as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"I'm doing pretty well. Tess sent me here to buy some more olives for the restaurant. Seems we were running low and no one even realized it." Philip said, looking over at Gabriella, knowing that the last thing she had at his restaurant was an olive pizza.

"Don't look at me; I didn't eat all those olives!" Gabriella said in her defense.

"Yes, but you did eat a pizza yesterday with quite a lot of olives. Which does make me suspicious…did you happen to go into my kitchen and steal all my olives?" Philip asked with a grin. Gabriella took the joking grin as a sign and she rolled her eyes. Philip was such a good friend; she didn't mind it when he made fun of her.

"You are such a joker Phil." Gabriella commented with a coy smile on her face. Philip smiled at her and then smirked at Troy, who was smiling as well; both at Philip and at his wife.

"You scored yourself a keeper here Troy. I always told you I liked this girl. Even in high school, I always told you that you picked a keeper." Philip said with a wink. Troy blushed and smiled at his wife, interlacing her hand with his.

"Just got lucky." Troy said, looking into Gabriella's eyes. Philip nodded with a smile and he looked to both his sides, like he was looking for someone.

"Hey, where's the little guy? I promised him I would teach him how to skateboard the next time I saw you guys." Philip stated, disappointment in his eyes. Troy only nodded his head. He, too, wished that his son was there with them. Even though Troy wasn't in a situation where Ethan didn't want to be left without his parents, Troy felt bad leaving him behind. He missed him, even when he was only ten minutes away.

"He is with his Aunt Sharpay and Uncle Ryan. They offered to let him go over while we were looking at some houses that are for sale and running some errands." Troy explained. Philip nodded his head in understanding.

"Well that's a shame because I wanted to see the little guy. Hey have you guys heard about that new restaurant?" Philip asked, jumping into a new topic. Both Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and they shook their heads.

"No, is it good?" Gabriella asked. Philip nodded with a smile.

"Heck yes it is! Tess and I were there last night for a date and they have the best crepes on the planet! You guys should ask Tess about it because she has free coupons. It may seem a little bit pricey, but the food is worth it." Philip rambled as he thought of the food. The talk of food made both Troy and Gabriella's stomachs rumble.

"We'll both look into that. Thanks for telling us about it Phil." Troy thanked with a smile on his face. He was starving now, thanks to Philip. Philip nodded his head and he then looked at his wristwatch and then looked back at Troy and Gabriella.

"Okay listen, I got to run. I told Tess I would be back at the diner ten minutes ago but I kind of got sidetracked. I'll see you both later!" Philip said as he quickly left the grocery, leaving Troy and Gabriella to themselves. They both chuckled at Philip's quick dismissal and they continued to buy everything that they needed to buy. They had found the milk they needed to put in their cereal, they found the green and ripe apples that seemed very appetizing to both Troy and Gabriella, they found three cans of olives that Gabriella requested they buy, they found the cookies and crackers that Ethan liked to snack on and they found the waffles that Troy was certain he couldn't live without. As the couple did an onceover of the store, making sure they didn't miss anything, Gabriella looped her arm through Troy's arm and she rested her head on Troy's broad shoulder.

"You okay?" Troy asked, looking over at Gabriella. He noticed that she was walking slower than usual and she had fatigue in her eyes. He knew that she was probably still recovering from her sudden sickness yesterday. Gabriella sighed and nodded her head against his shoulder.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I had a little bit of trouble getting to sleep last night." Gabriella blandly said, regretting bringing up the event. Troy sighed as well and he pressed a kiss against Gabriella's forehead. He remembered how much Gabriella tossed and turned under his arm and how confused Ethan was when he woke up in the morning and saw that he was no longer in his bedroom. Nothing killed Troy more than having to lie to Ethan when he asked why he was in his parent's bedroom. He never lied to his son. He was always honest with his son. Having to lie to him was the most physically and emotionally draining thing that Troy ever had to do in his life.

"I know, I did as well. But we can start over. We can forget that yesterday ever happened. We don't have to worry about anything. We'll have a good sleep tonight and we can just relax. We'll make more time for each other and not have to worry about him again." Troy assured his wife as he pushed the cart through the aisles. Gabriella nodded her head and she brushed a gentle kiss on Troy's covered shoulder.

"I hope you're right. I can't take anymore of it. Hey Troy, what do you think of going out to dinner tonight? Just you, me and Ethan. The three of us haven't had a real dinner together because you've been doing night time shooting for the past two weeks. Plus, that new restaurant that Phil and Tess went to sounds pretty good actually and it couldn't hurt to go and try it out." Gabriella said, not even realizing that she was incessantly rambling. Troy looked down at his wife and just stared at her for the longest time. He was always the one that would suggest going out to dinner; that was always his or Ethan's job. This was certainly a first.

"That sounds fine. I'm off for the next two weeks so we can all spend time together. You and I can go out alone sometime and I can spend a little more time with Ethan. It feels like I never see him. I'll get Chad to call and make us some reservations." Troy told his wife, deciding he wouldn't pester Gabriella on why she wanted to go out to dinner. As they stood at the checkout counter purchasing all their items, Gabriella turned to Troy and told him that she had to go to the bathroom and she meet him at the car, since the public washrooms were outside of the grocery store. Troy nodded his head, kissing his wife quickly before she left the grocery and went to the bathroom.

Gabriella was all alone in the woman's washroom as she did her business. After flushing the toilet, she began to wash her hands with the cold tap water and the foam soap. The soap was pomegranate scented; the smell was really strong. It almost made her feel sick because of how strong the smell was. She was able to get rid of the feeling by taking three deep breaths and she sighed to herself. She dried her hands with the brown paper towel that was nearby and she looked at herself in the mirror. Her wavy hair was in a messy up-do and she straightened her green and yellow floral bohemian styled summer dress. She clicked her black gladiator shoes together and she pronounced herself ready to go back to Troy. With a sigh, she turned on her heels and she began to leave the bathroom. But when she opened the door to exit the bathroom, she nearly screamed at the man who stood before her. It was not her husband; it was the stalker that terrorized her home last night. He stared at her with loathing in his eyes.

"I don't like how your husband punched me last night." Victor coldly stated, his cold eyes staring down at her. Gabriella felt her mouth go dry. She didn't know what to say; if she said anything, he could hurt Troy or Ethan. And she would rather die than live with that guilt. But she knew she had to make it out alive; she couldn't die now. She had to fight a little longer. Victor allowed a smirk to grow across his face and took a step closer to Gabriella, causing her to step back. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. So many vile and hateful words were running in her head but she couldn't bring herself to say them or hurt him the way she wanted to. It was like she was paralyzed.

"Not the talkative one I see. This should be interesting for me then." Victor said in a low husky voice that made Gabriella recoil in fear. Gabriella felt her breath quicken as she tried to remember self-defense. When nothing came to her occupied mind, she did the only thing she could do; she kicked Victor in the groin and she ran away screaming. She heard Victor grunting in pain as he ran after her. Gabriella didn't get very far; Victor caught up to her and he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. Gabriella tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but it was no use; he was far too strong. He had her pinned up against the wall of the grocery store, and he began to hush her so no one would hear her loud cries for help.

"Be quiet. I'm not here to hurt you. I would never hurt you. But you have to do what I say or else people will start getting hurt." Victor informed her, almost too cheerfully. Gabriella shook her head and tears brimmed around her eyes.

"Please stop following me! Please just leave me and my family alone!" Gabriella pleaded with tears in her eyes. Victor shook his head and his hand was placed on her stomach.

"I just want you." He said evilly. When Gabriella saw his hand on her stomach, she slapped his hand off and she wrapped both her arms around her stomach so he couldn't touch her again. Victor stared at her in shock, trying to fathom her sudden gestures. Suddenly, he had a sudden idea of why she had slapped his hand off her stomach.

"No…" Victor said in a whisper, just loud enough for Gabriella to hear it. He obviously didn't like the reason. Gabriella stared at him in fear, secretly wondering if she would be able to outrun him. She could always kick him again and run, but she knew that she wasn't that fast. She could always pretend to go with him and then escape when he was least expecting it, but she knew the chances of that happening were very slim. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Gabriella! Gabriella!" Troy's voice called. Gabriella and Victor both looked and saw Troy standing there. Gabriella had never been so happy to see Troy in her whole life. Troy stopped walking and called for Gabriella when he saw Victor standing too close in front of his wife. Anger roared up inside Troy at the very sight of Victor. And he didn't bother to hide it.

"Stay the hell away from my wife!" Troy harshly yelled as he stomped over to Gabriella's side and pulled her away from Victor. Victor stared at him angrily but did not move a muscle.

"You don't want to get into this, Troy." Victor warned with pure evil in his eyes. Troy stomped over to Victor with determination in his eyes.

"You're right Victor I really don't. But you're stalking my wife and putting our son's life in danger and I really want to get into this. If you want to kill me then here I stand!" Troy hollered, anger in his usually angelic voice. Victor grabbed Troy by the collar, like Troy did the night before. Troy heard Gabriella gasp from behind, but Troy didn't dare to look back; his eyes were locked on Victor's. Victor's face was bright red as he stared into Troy's sapphire eyes.

"Believe me boy, I want to. I want to kill you nice and slow. But I'm beginning to change my mind here. I'd like to watch you suffer. I really would. I'd like to torture you, like pulling the wings off a harmless fly." Victor hissed through his teeth, his fingers were clutching Troy's collar and almost cut Troy's skin.

"Won't happen." Troy hissed back. Troy couldn't contain himself anymore; he raised a hand and he punched Victor, just as hard as he did the night before. Victor backed off in pain and grunted as Troy ran back to his wife, who stood as far back from Victor as she could. He wrapped her up in both his arms and held her as tight as he could, so he could prevent her from any danger in the world. Victor looked back at Troy and his eyes grew colder and harder, if that were even possible. He pointed his index finger right at Troy, his eyes never leaving Troy's.

"You're going to regret it Troy. You're going to regret it all. I'm going to make you wish that you were dead. You're going to wish you gave your wife up to me! By the time I'm finished with you, you're going to be left alone with nothing. You'll be alone in the world with everyone you love gone. I'll be sure of it!" Victor screamed as he ran off, leaving a stunned Troy and Gabriella standing there.

Troy held his wife as he felt her shaking in his arms. He looked down at her and saw that she had buried her face into his chest. And it wasn't long until he felt his shirt become wet. He soon heard her faint cries as she couldn't to shake more rapidly. Troy gently shushed her as he ran his hands up and down her back, trying to soothe her as much as he could. But no matter how much he soothingly hushed her or ran his hands up her back, she wouldn't look up at him or stop crying. Troy placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, his lips barely brushing her head. Soon after, her once loud sobs began to slowly quiet down. She then slowly but surely began to lift her head and she stared at Troy with red and puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. Troy stared into his wife's eyes and he lifted a hand to wipe away her tears with the pad of his thumb. Gabriella lifted her hand and placed it over his hand that was still delicately placed on her face.

"Troy…I don't know what to do." Gabriella whispered to him, tears welling up in her eyes once more. Troy's thumb stroked her cheek and he kissed her forehead.

"Come on; let's get you out of here." Troy told her as he placed his arm around her and ushered her to their car. They were swarmed by paparazzi who were urging them to tell them why Gabriella was crying. They pushed their way through and they got into their car and drove away. Troy called Chad and told him to make reservations for the restaurant and to confirm that they have changed their home number. After hanging up, Troy looked over at his wife, who stared out the window in a daze. She was obviously terrified. Troy pulled over at the side of the road and stopped the car. Troy undid his seatbelt and he leaned over to Gabriella and he captured her face in between his hands and he captured her lips in a kiss. Gabriella returned the kiss, feeling that if she didn't she would lose him forever. Troy pulled back from the kiss and stroked both her cheeks gently. He had to assure her everything would be okay.

"You have nothing to worry about Gabriella. Nothing is going to happen to you or Ethan or me. You now that there is nothing I wouldn't do for you and Ethan and I can promise you that I will make you and Ethan safe again. I will fight for you both if it's the last thing I do. Victor is not going to hurt anyone. I promise I won't let him." Troy vowed to her, gently stroking her cheeks. Gabriella didn't say anything; she only stared into his blue eyes. Finally, she moved in closer to him and kissed his lips once more. She then pulled back.

"I want to believe you. I really do. But I have a feeling that we might have to lose before we win." Gabriella said, her eyes distant. Troy nodded his head in understanding, his thumb still ghosting across her cheek.

"I'm willing to take that chance." Troy stated. Gabriella nodded her head as she was pulled into yet another kiss by Troy. Gabriella wanted to believe that everything would be okay, but the way Victor looked at her and spoke to her and Troy gave her the feeling that Victor was going to stop at nothing until he made Troy and her pay. And she could not die; not until she justified why she had to live.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Okay so I am expecting six or more reviews or else I don't review. Thanks guy I love you!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	5. Gone Too Far

**Gone Too Far**

**Author's Note: ****Hey everyone! Okay so I have some news…it's my sweet sixteenth birthday today (Jan. 13)! I can officially get my license to drive now! And since it's my birthday, I'm asking for reviews as my present…it will make my birthday special =)**

**Chapter Summary: ****The Bolton family go out to dinner with police there to escort them and make sure that they are safe. But will that stop Victor from getting to them?**

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_I'd never given much thought to how I would die. But dying in the place of someone I loved seemed like a good way to go._

_Bella 'Twilight'_

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Troy ran a hair through his messy mane as he walked into his house. He had just visited the police department to report Victor's attacks. The police reported other officers to be on the lookout for Victor. Troy mentioned to the police that Victor said his identical twin brother used to work for the FBI but when they did a search on the last name 'Costello' nothing came up. There was no record of a Costello that worked or has worked with the FBI. It was like he never existed. The police assumed that Victor was a con artist who made an authentic looking badge. When Troy told the police that he and his family were going to go out to dinner, three police officers were scheduled to escort them. While Troy felt a little bit safer that they would be escorting them, he didn't like the idea of having someone babysit him while taking his wife and son out to dinner.

Troy called for Gabriella and she called for him from their bedroom. Troy ran to their room and he not only saw Gabriella, but he also saw Tess. Her name was Tess Collins; soon-to-be Jackson. She was the fiancée of Philip and also owned the restaurant that Troy and Gabriella always went to. Tess was a beautiful young woman who was about 5'3 inches tall. She had tanned skin and glassy blue eyes. She had large but seductive lips and her hair was such a dark brown that it was almost black. She had been friends with Troy and Gabriella since the first year of college when she first started dating Philip. Gabriella was in her bathrobe and Tess was helping her pick something formal to wear to this fancy new restaurant. When Tess saw Troy, she smiled and waved at Troy.

"Hey Troy, I haven't talked to you in a while. How are you doing?" Tess asked as she walked over to Troy and she hugged him. Troy hugged her back and smiled at her.

"I've been hanging in there. How are you?" Troy asked. Tess smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I've been busy but pretty good. So you and the family are going to that restaurant eh? You won't regret going, it's so good! Philip and I are thinking of going again tomorrow night. And I just gave your lovely and ever so beautiful wife the free coupons and you should be all ready to go. And I helped Gabriella here pick out something to wear and I can guarantee you, that you won't be able to take your eyes off of her Troy Bolton." Tess teased with a smile. Troy smiled coyly as he looked over at his wife who was blushing as she was applying her makeup. She wasn't even dressed and she was making him stop and stare.

"Thanks for everything Tess." Troy thanked with a smile. Tess nodded her head and she smiled at Troy.

"Well I got to run. I have some important business I have to do. I hope you both have an awesome time tonight and I'll see you later." Tess said as she left the room and escorted herself out of the house. Troy walked over to his wife who sat in a chair in front of her mirror and he placed a kiss in her hair. She smelt of strawberries.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Troy asked in a soothing voice. Gabriella looked up at her husband and she nodded with a weak smile.

"I'm feeling a little better. Still kind of in shock but I'm not letting it ruin our night together." Gabriella told Troy. Troy nodded his head and he lowered himself and captured her lips in a kiss.

"We're going to be fine. Police are going to escort us there and back and they are searching for Victor. You have nothing to worry about; this will all be over soon. I promise." Troy promised her, nothing but the truth in his voice. Gabriella only smiled weakly once more and she stretched up and kissed Troy's lips. When their lips released, she smiled once again.

"I believe you. When you get into your tux, Ethan wants you to help him get into his tuxedo. He's been talking about it since I told him he was going to wear one. He says 'I'll be like James Bond'! That's how I know he watches too many movies with you." Gabriella teased with a wink. Troy chuckled and he walked into his closet that he shared with Gabriella.

"Hey, James Bond is a classic and if I'm going to teach my son anything, it is going to be James Bond!" Troy joked from the closet as he got changed into his tuxedo.

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Tess stood outside on the corner on the street and sighed impatiently. Her ride was already ten minutes late in picking her up and she was getting anxious. She had a million things she had to get done. She had to go to her restaurant and get the cash, she had to pay her employees and she had to go home and make dinner for herself and Philip. She could not afford to be late. She was always a person who planned what she was doing every minute of everyday and she could not afford anyone changing those plans.

Tess ran a hand through her raven hair and looked both directions to see if anyone was coming. When she saw no one was coming, she pulled out her cell phone and began to dial the number. She could not and would not be patient anymore; she was going to call. If anyone was going to wait, it most certainly wouldn't be her. She put the phone up to her ear and heard the ringing. She just had to wait for someone to answer to phone and give her some indication that they were coming to pick her up. After a minute of listening to the sounds of ringing, she finally heard someone pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" The manly voice answered. Tess rolled her eyes at the absurd greeting.

"Don't 'hello' me, where the hell are you? I have to go to work!" Tess angrily exclaimed into the phone.

"A taxi should be there momentarily. Did you…?" He began to say, but was then cut off by Tess who had an evil smirk on her face.

"You bet your life I did. They'll be going to the restaurant in about forty-five minutes. Is everything set up?" Tess asked with an evil smile. She heard the man on the other end chuckle evilly.

"They've been set up for a while now, Tessie. Now, when it shows on the news you are to come see me immediately. Is that understood?" The man asked. Tess looked up and saw a bright yellow taxi right in front of her, the driver motioning for her to come in the taxi. Tess smiled devilishly and she nodded her head into the phone. She was very determined now and satisfied with herself. The plan would work now.

"I understand Victor. I know you'll make this all work out."

**--**

Troy was in Ethan's pirate themed bedroom and was helping him get into his tuxedo. Ethan had a strong liking for pirates ever since he met Johnny Depp at Disney land and he took him on the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride at Disneyland. Ethan then got into the movies and soon became obsessed with pirates. Troy and Gabriella saw how much he enjoyed pirates and they decorated his room so it looked like he was on a pirate's ship. When Gabriella would work and Troy would stay home with Ethan, the father and son would pretend they were two pirates on a voyage across the sea to find hidden treasure. Troy found his son's imagination quite entertaining. The things that Ethan would come up with always made Troy flat out laugh and wonder what else his little boy would come up with. Troy bent on his knees as he did up Ethan's little black bowtie to match his black pants and his white long-sleeved dress shirt. Troy then smiled at his little boy.

"There you go son. You look like James Bond." Troy told him with a wink. Ethan chuckled and high-fived his father.

"We're both cool like Bond!" Ethan exclaimed with a smile. Troy smiled and he picked up Ethan and spun him around in the air several times, causing him to giggle out loud. Troy then dropped Ethan on his pirate bed and Troy soon followed. Troy ran a hand through his son's hair with a smile.

"Hey Ethan, I've got two weeks off from work so I'm going to be home more now. You and I can have more pirate adventures, watch some James Bond movies and we'll both eat lots of junk food even when mommy tells us not to. We'll have a lot of fun together." Troy told his son, placing him on his lap. Ethan curled up into his dad's lap and looked up at him.

"Can we play basketball together dad? Every time we try to, you're either not in the mood or you have to work." Ethan informed Troy with sad eyes. Troy stared into little Ethan's eyes and saw how badly he wanted to play basketball. Troy remembered his high school days when he used to be a captain of the Wildcats. He missed those days.

"I promise we'll play basketball. We'll have a match; just you and me." Troy promised his son, causing him to smile and hug Troy as if to say thank you. Moments after, Gabriella walked into Ethan's bedroom and she left Troy and Ethan in awe when they saw her. Gabriella wore flowing white silk dress that had a plunging v-neckline and a sexy halter top that was tied at the neck. The twisted bodice was chic and sophisticated, while the empire waist flattered Gabriella's frame. The skirt of the dress was loose and airy. Gabriella's hair was in a wavy up-do and she wore the diamond necklace that Troy bought her for her birthday. She smiled as she gracefully walked over to the most special men in her life.

"Are you both ready to go now?" Gabriella asked with a soft and gentle smile. Troy let go of Ethan and he walked over to his wife and just stood in front of her, staring into her eyes. Troy then lifted his hand and he fondled her cheek with his hand. Troy's thumb stroked her soft cheek twice before causing a smile on both their faces.

"You're beautiful, Mrs. Bolton." Troy lovingly told his wife before gently kissing her cheek. Gabriella smiled at her husband and she placed a hand gently on his face.

"So are you Mr. Bolton." Gabriella said in return. Gabriella then felt a little tugging at her legs and smiled when she saw Ethan, wanting to be picked up by his mother. Gabriella picked Ethan up and he instantly kissed her cheek and wrapped his little arms around her neck.

"You look like a superstar mommy." Ethan told her, meaning every word he said. Gabriella smiled and kissed his forehead and placed him back on the floor.

"Come on, we should go now. I just saw the police cruiser outside; they're waiting for us so we can go." Gabriella informed her husband and son. Troy nodded his head as he picked up Ethan and interlaced Gabriella's hand into his as they left their home and got into their car and allowed the police cruiser to escort them to their dinner reservations.

--

Troy and his family sat at their dinner table, waiting for their meals to be served. Troy ordered a club soda, Ethan ordered a Pepsi and Gabriella ordered green tea to drink. Philip and Tess were right about one thing; the food looked delicious. Troy ordered fish and chips, Ethan ordered a bowl of Italian wedding soup and Gabriella ordered Fettuccine alfredo with a side of corn bread. As soon as their meals finally arrived, Troy couldn't help but notice how quick Gabriella was to eat her meal. He had never seen her so eager to eat something. Troy just ignored it and indulged into his meal and was incredibly satisfied with the food. It tasted exquisite. This restaurant was definitely worth it. Troy was even trying to think of reasons to tell Tess and Philip why he wouldn't be going to their restaurant anymore.

Suddenly, Gabriella noticed bright flashes all around her. She looked up and almost groaned to herself. It was the paparazzi. They had found them and they were going to stir up trouble between Troy and Gabriella. The family just continued to eat their dinner as the paparazzi just snapped away at the pictures. The flashes began to hurt their eyes but they said nothing. They tried to be strong. But that wasn't until they heard the paparazzi screaming unnecessary questions at them, which they didn't want to answer. But it was all part of the job description; they had to deal with the paparazzi no matter where they were.

"Gabriella, how's your fashion line going?" One member of the paparazzi asked.

"It's going good." Gabriella answered quickly before engulfing a big amount of pasta in her mouth.

"Troy, where's Sharpay? An inside source tells us that the two of you were getting cozy in your trailer." Another member of the paparazzi called out. Troy groaned angrily. They were always stirring up trouble and making up rumors that Troy was unfaithful to Gabriella. The family ignored their mindless questions until one of their questions was taken too far.

"Hey Ethan, did you know that Troy isn't really your father?" The tall man taking the pictures asked. Ethan immediately stopped eating and he looked at his father, with tears welling up in his eyes.

"What do they mean you're not really my daddy?" Ethan asked as he began to sob. Anger and sadness roared up inside of Troy as he slammed the table with his fist and left money on the counter. He then picked up his sobbing son and Gabriella followed after. While pushing their way through the paparazzi, Troy began to curse and yell at them all until he and his family were out of the restaurant. When the police saw them come out, they got into their car and left as soon as Troy's car drove out of the parking lot.

Ethan just sat in the back of the car in his car seat, trying his hardest not to cry too loud for his parents to hear him. Gabriella looked back at her crying son and her heart broke. She hated to see him so upset. She knew how much he adored his father and to have to hear something like that really killed Ethan. Troy looked at Ethan in the rearview mirror and could see Ethan crying. He had to make sure he knew he really was his father.

"Don't listen to what those guys said Ethan. You are my son and I am proud to be your dad." Troy assured Ethan. Ethan did not stop crying but he nodded his head.

"Okay." Ethan tearfully said, not fully convinced yet. Both Troy and Gabriella sat in silence. Neither knew what to say after the paparazzi incident. Gabriella sighed as she placed a hand over Troy's and the other on her stomach. Troy looked over at her and he saw that she was staring at him.

"Everything okay?" Troy asked. Gabriella nodded her head with a smile.

"I'm fine. I just have something to tell you both." Gabriella said. Ethan looked up at his mother, his face tearstained and his eyes wide.

"What do you have to tell us mommy?" Ethan innocently asked. Gabriella sighed and she relaxed into a smile. She was going to tell them.

"Well guys…" Gabriella began to say, but then there was a sudden crash before them. An SUV had just crashed into the police cruiser and caused it to flip over and catch fire. Both Troy and Gabriella gasped with horror when the SUV turned to face them. Victor was in the car, facing them with angry and hateful eyes.

Troy saw the terror in both his wife and son's eyes and he knew he had to escape. He pressed his foot on the gas and he sped up, hoping that Victor couldn't catch up. Gabriella looked back and could see Victor speeding up to them with a fire in his eyes. Ethan was terrified and was yelling for his dad to slow down. But Troy couldn't slow down; not until he lost Victor. Victor had caught up to their car and he bumped their car from behind, causing them all to be pushed forward. Ethan screamed while Troy accelerated forward and he turned down several lanes, hoping that he would eventually lose Victor. Finally, after ten minutes of driving away and fearing the worst, they seemed to have lost Victor. Troy stopped the car in the middle of a deserted road. They were all in shock but they all began to unwind and try to breathe again.

"Who was that man mommy?" Ethan asked, his voice shaking. Gabriella looked back at her son and saw the fear in his eyes. He shouldn't have to go through this. He was so young. He shouldn't have to go through the wrath of Victor's insufferable and obsessive ways. It wasn't fair.

"No one honey. It was a misunderstanding." Gabriella lied. Troy looked back at Ethan and offered a warm smile.

"We're fine now. And this is kind of nice; we're all together on this deserted road. The sky is beautiful and I love you both. And I think you still have to tell us something Gabriella." Troy reminded Gabriella. A smile soon beamed across Gabriella's face as she took both Troy and Ethan's hands into hers. Whatever the news she had to tell them was obviously good news; Gabriella's smile was wide and bright.

"This is very special news. Troy…Ethan…I…" Gabriella might have said something; Troy didn't know. All he remembered was seeing bright lights behind Gabriella, hitting his head and everything going black.

Victor had come out of nowhere and he crashed into Gabriella and Ethan's side of the car, and he caused the car to collide into a tree. He left all members of the Bolton family bloody, injured and unconscious. Victor could see that there was blood on the window of the car and he could see that they were all limp and lifeless. Mission accomplished. Victor grinned evilly to himself as he pulled away from the crashed and damaged remains of the car and he drove down the road, hoping to escape the cops that would eventually find the wrecked and smashed remains of the car. He didn't want to hurt Gabriella; he only wanted Troy and the little boy to be gone. But he had to do what he had to do; and that meant she had to die with them as well. Victor felt no remorse as he drove on into the night.

Troy groaned in pain as he began to slowly awaken. He felt pain all over his body. It hurt just to lift a finger; that was how bad the pain was. He felt a warm liquid running from the top of his head running onto his face. It felt warm and sticky. Troy slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was his window smashed and broken. Troy was confused. Why was his window broken? He didn't remember crashing. The last thing that Troy remembered was Gabriella holding his and Ethan's hand about to tell them something. Troy froze in realization. Where were Gabriella and Ethan? Were they in this crash? Troy knew he would have to look for them; and that would mean he would have to move. Troy slowly turned on his side and he nearly screamed in horror at the sight before him.

Gabriella's once white dress was drenched in red blood that was dripping from her head. She was limp; lifeless. Troy began to panic in fear of her life. Troy then looked back at the back of the car and he saw his little Ethan also unconscious and fully drenched in blood. He looked limp and like the life had left him. Troy instantly began to shake his family awake, hoping that they would awaken, but they did not. They just remained in their lifeless form. Troy, not knowing what else to do, grabbed his cell phone that was in his pocket and called 911. He was hysterical when he was on the phone, calling for an ambulance, but was assured they were on their way. When they hung up, Troy went back to trying to wake up his family. Nothing could have scared him more than that moment.

"Gabriella! Ethan! Please wake up! Please don't you dare leave me! Don't die on me!" Troy sobbed as he shook them both, his tears almost choking him.

Nothing scared him more than the possibility of losing his family.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**I know I'm mean, but read and review for my birthday or I end the story here! =) **_

_**Alanna xo**_


	6. The Aftermath

**The Aftermath**

**Author's Note:**** Howdy! So my life is so stressed right now because I am busy studying for exams but I made time for an update! Read and review please!**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy is at the hospital with his family and he learns about Ethan's condition, Gabriella's news and Victor's whereabouts.**

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_Death is peaceful - easy. Life is harder._

_- Bella Swan 'Twilight'_

_--_

Troy sat in a chair in front of Ethan's hospital bed, in a pained silence that was slowly eating away at him. He sat there helplessly as he watched his unconscious son lie on the bed with several tubes in his nose and mouth. Troy only suffered a few cuts and bruises but Ethan and Gabriella had to be bed-ridden because they were out cold when the ambulance arrived and they believed they were in critical condition. They were at the hospital for three hours, but Troy refused to fall asleep. Troy couldn't handle to see his son in such a condition; Troy promised from the day he was born that if anyone was going to get hurt, it would never be Ethan. Troy promised that he would die for his son, if it was the last thing he did. Troy fought back tears as he lifted a hand and gently stroked Ethan's cheek, hoping he would wake up at the touch of his father's hand. But he didn't; he still remained motionless.

Troy couldn't hold it anymore; he let a tear streak down his face. He always told Ethan that no matter what, he would never see his daddy cry. But Troy had to let it out. He was watching his four year old son fight for his life because of a man that he thought he got rid of. He was a stupid and foolish man. Troy allowed the tears to fall, but he refused to make any sobbing sounds, fearing that maybe someone would hear him. But he could care less. His only son was dying. He couldn't just let this pass as a bad day; this was killing Troy. When the sudden sound of the door opening from behind him, Troy quickly wiped away his tears and he turned to look doctor Henry Williams who held a clipboard in his hands. Troy only hoped for good news, but the look on Henry's face didn't look so good.

"Well Mr. Bolton, it seems that Ethan hit his head relatively hard which caused severe head trauma. His current state of unconsciousness has led him to become comatose. I'm sorry Mr. Bolton." Henry sympathetically informed him. Troy now really struggled not to cry in front of him.

"What does this mean? How long will he be like this?" Troy asked, desperate for some good news. Henry sighed as he walked over to Troy and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They rarely last more than two to five weeks but some have lasted as long as several years. By that time, patients have either grown out of their coma, they go into a vegetative state or they will die. I can't promise that he'll wake up when I snap my fingers, but I do promise to take care of him." Henry promised with sympathy and remorse in his voice. Troy couldn't hold it in anymore; he began to sob and he placed his face into his hands. Henry sighed as he once again placed a hand on Troy's back.

"I do have the results on your wife, Mr. Bolton." Henry informed Troy. Troy slowly lifted his face from his hands and with red, puffy and teary eyes; he looked up at Henry in desperate hope that maybe he would have some good news about Gabriella.

"Is she…?"Troy began to ask, but his voice trailed off. He decided he was too afraid to know the truth. Henry saw the worry across Troy's face and he would enlighten him.

"She just has a concussion. She hit her head when the car crashed into your car. She does not remember the crash, but she is in a lot of pain. But you'll be happy to know that there won't be any effect on the baby." Henry informed Troy. Troy looked at Henry in shock. Did he just say baby? Was Gabriella pregnant?

"Baby?" Troy dumbly asked, unsure if what he heard was correct. Henry looked down at the clipboard and he nodded his head before looking back at Troy.

"Yes, it seems your wife is just over twelve weeks pregnant. When the car crashed on her side, she blocked her stomach and was able to save her baby." Henry told him. Troy blinked in shock. Gabriella was pregnant. Everything made sense now. Why she took a break from modeling and singing to work on her designs at home, her being so sick and tired, eating all the time and the urgent news she had to tell him…it all added up! He missed all the signs. Troy was at a loss of words and he felt his mouth go dry. He couldn't even think straight.

"She's awake in the next room if you wish to see her. I just have to do some tests on your son for a few moments." Henry told Troy. Troy absentmindedly nodded his head slowly as he got up from his chair and he placed a kiss on Ethan's forehead before walking out of Ethan's room and into the hallway.

Troy paused before walking into Gabriella's room. What should he say? How should he tell her he knows that she's pregnant? Would she already know that he knew? Did she know about Ethan's condition? Troy didn't know what to do. Taking a deep breath, Troy opened up her door and he saw Gabriella on her hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her head was wrapped in gauze and she had an IV attached to her arm. Both her hands were placed on her stomach, just running up and down her stomach, obviously trying to communicate with her baby. Troy sighed sadly, which caused Gabriella's eyes to wander to him. When he saw her eyes land on him, he slowly walked into the room and towards her bed. He pulled a chair up beside her bed and he just stared at her, not sure of what to say. Gabriella stared at him as well and she let tears fall from her brown eyes. She already knew about Ethan. Her quiet cries soon turned into loud sobs that filled the room.

"Troy…" Gabriella cried out, but her sobs kept her from saying anything else. Troy gently hushed her as he lifted a hand and gently began to stroke her hair, careful not to be too hard on her head. As Troy continued to gently hush her, Gabriella's cries began to die down and she just looked at her husband with tears brimming around her eyes.

"Gabs, it's okay. We have to be strong for Ethan. He needs us to be strong." Troy told Gabriella, trying to keep himself from crying as well. Gabriella only nodded her head as traitor tears fell from her eyes.

"Doctor Henry told me what happens to coma patients. What if he doesn't wake up? What if he dies? I won't live with that. I won't!" Gabriella half hollered, causing her heart rate to climb. Troy hushed her once more as he got up from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed and he interlaced his hand with hers. Her hands were so cold in comparison to his warm hands.

"Gabriella, don't talk like that. We're going to pull through. I promise." Try promised, but there was doubt in his voice. He, himself, wasn't sure if he could pull through this. Gabriella didn't say anything; she just nodded her head and allowed more tears to fall from her eyes. Troy's eyes wandered to her hand that was placed on her stomach and he placed a hand on her stomach. For a few weeks he had always been seeing her in loose fitting summer dresses or t-shirts, and now that he felt her stomach, he could feel the small bump on her stomach. His child was in there, just waiting to enter the world. His eyes met back with Gabriella's, who was just staring at him and waiting for a reaction.

"Is that my baby in there?" Troy asked, managing a weak smile that didn't meet his eyes. Gabriella nodded her head as she placed a hand over Troy's, which was still over her stomach.

"There's another Bolton baby waiting to meet you." Gabriella said above a whisper. Troy's eyes looked back at her stomach and then looked back into Gabriella's eyes. In her brown eyes, he could see Ethan.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? You're already over twelve weeks pregnant, why wouldn't you tell me?" Troy asked, finding it odd that Gabriella didn't tell him immediately. Gabriella wiped away the tears that were drowning her cheeks and she looked into Troy's eyes.

"There's a lot I should've done differently. I didn't tell you because not only did I have to be careful about miscarriages, but when the problem with Victor came along, I thought that if I could just keep it private for a little bit longer, he wouldn't threat the baby. I was stupid." Gabriella whispered, regretting everything that she had thrust upon herself. Troy shook his head and he squeezed her hand. The pregnancy hormones were definitely kicking in.

"You weren't stupid. You didn't know he would go that far." Troy tried to comfort her, but he was failing for them both. Gabriella shook her head and began to sob again.

"Why is Ethan dying? Why are you the one who has too deal with all this? Why does this baby have to suffer when it hasn't done anything to deserve this brutality? It's all because of me! I'm the reason why we're all in the hospital! It's all my fault Troy." Gabriella sobbed, causing her heart rate to climb once again. Troy shook his head as he gently cupped both of Gabriella's cheeks into his hands and made her look into his eyes. He couldn't let her torture herself like this.

"Gabriella, listen to me. None of this is your fault. This is Victor's fault. He is the one who put us in the hospital. He's the one who put Ethan in a coma. He's the one who nearly cost our baby its life. He's the one who's making us both suffer. You have to stay strong. Ethan and little no name here needs you to stay strong; you can't fall apart. I need you to stay strong. I love you. That's why I need you to stay strong; I love you. I love you, Ethan and this new baby. You are all I need and I need you all to stay strong for me." Troy passionately told Gabriella, vigorously caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. Gabriella managed to smile through the tears. She shouldn't have been happy, but her husband always found ways to make her smile.

"I love you. And I can't wait until this baby gets to meet you and Ethan." Gabriella said, just above a whisper to keep her tearful voice from breaking. Troy continued to stroke Gabriella's cheeks as he slowly moved in close to Gabriella and captured her lips with his own. He knew that it wasn't a good time to be kissing her, but he needed some assurance that everything would alright between him and Gabriella. Gabriella kissed Troy back, despite the pain she felt in her head. When the pain in her head became too much, Gabriella groaned in pain and she pulled herself back from Troy. Troy knew that she was in pain and he gently stroked the top of her head, hoping to soothe her.

"I'll go get you some water. I'll be back in a few minutes." Troy assured her, stroking her hair one last time before walking out of the room to get her a drink of water.

As soon as he left the room, he could hear Gabriella crying to herself once again. Troy sighed sadly to himself. He knew that Gabriella still felt guilty about Ethan's current predicament. No matter how hard he would try to tell her that it wasn't her fault, she would never agree with him. She would always say that she should've seen this coming and that she should have been a better mother to Ethan. Troy could fight all he wanted, but she would never falter. Troy wished that she would let this regret go; it wasn't healthy for her or the baby.

Troy stood at the fountain as he filled a Styrofoam cup with ice cold water. It was so cold that he could feel it through the cup. When the cup was full, he turned to walk back to Gabriella's room. As he began to walk, he could hear loud heels clicking from behind him. He knew the sound of those heels anywhere. It was Sharpay's heels. She and Ryan must've been around the corner from him. Troy slowly turned around and he saw Ryan and Sharpay running towards him. Ryan held flowers for Gabriella and Sharpay held a bag of food for Troy. They knew that he must've been starving and he would want something to eat. As soon as they were over, Sharpay hugged Troy and gave him a tight squeeze. Troy really needed someone. Troy then released her and gave Ryan and man hug. He needed the comfort that no one would be able to give him.

"We came as soon as we heard about the news. We brought flowers and some food for you. Meatball sandwich with extra sauce; just the way you like it." Sharpay informed Troy as she gave him the sandwich which was wrapped in aluminum foil. Troy held the sandwich in his hands and stared down at it. He was starving; he wasn't going to lie, but he didn't have it in him to eat it just yet.

"Thanks guys." Troy muttered, only half alive.

"How are Ethan and Gabriella doing? Are they awake?" Ryan asked with worry in his eyes. Troy bit his lip when he thought of his family's condition. He wished he could get their injured forms out of his head so the guilt and worry could stop eating away at him.

"Um…Ethan is comatose and the doctors have no idea when or if he'll wake up. I never knew he was so small until I saw all those tubes attached to him. Gabriella has a concussion but she should be fine. And I have some more news; Gabriella is pregnant." Troy told them with distant eyes. Sharpay and Ryan both widened their eyes. The news took them by surprise.

"Congratulations on the baby news Troy! And I'm sorry about Ethan; he's going to recover. Don't lose hope." Sharpay encouraged with a smile. Troy nodded his head and pointed back at Gabriella's room.

"Gabriella's awake if you want to see her. When you go in there, make sure she drinks this water." Troy said quickly as he handed Sharpay to cup of water. Sharpay nodded her head and ran her hand down Troy's arm.

"Stay strong okay?" Sharpay reminded him before leaving for Gabriella's room. When Sharpay left to go visit Gabriella, Troy turned to Ryan and he saw the look in his eyes; he came bearing his own bad news.

"Look man, I have some news on Victor but I don't know if you want to hear it." Ryan told Troy, not sure if he should put this on Troy's shoulders. Troy's eyes filled with rage when he heard Victor's name.

"I'm in a hospital and watching my family fight for survival. I want to hear it." Troy hissed angrily as he and Ryan walked towards a pair of chairs. After they sat down, Ryan turned to face Troy and had remorse in his eyes.

"The car that Victor was driving was found fifteen miles up the road from where your car was hit. The car was a stolen car and Victor was not in it. Police are searching for him, but he's nowhere to be found. He may have fled LA." Ryan informed Troy with remorseful eyes. Troy was clenching his teeth and clutching his knuckles so he wouldn't lose his temper. Victor got away; he would get away with what he did to his family.

"I'm going to find that son of a bitch and I'm going to kill him!" Troy hissed through his teeth, the anger he felt burning up inside of him. Ryan nodded his head in understanding as he placed a hand on Troy's shoulder. There was more to tell.

"That's not all. The car crash is already all over the internet. And people are beginning to come up with their own theories. People believe the stalker threat, but people are also spreading rumors that you planned this car crash so you could get insurance money. You're going to have to set the record straight if you want people to believe that you had nothing to do with the crash." Ryan told Troy, regret filling his voice as he saw the pained expression in Troy's eyes. Troy struggled to keep his anger and pathos to himself but he couldn't help but tremble.

"This is the worst living nightmare I think I've ever lived." Troy mumbled out loud to keep himself from crying. Ryan patted his best friend's back and tried to comfort him but he couldn't even imagine the pain that he was going through. The most he could do was just be there for him. But he knew that would never be enough.

--

It was about an hour after Sharpay and Ryan left and Troy just watched his wife sleep. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Troy then stared at her stomach, which held his baby. He had to protect this baby; he had to make sure their baby was left unharmed and had no complications. He couldn't let Victor come and attack this baby too. He had to fight for his family and make sure that they got the best of everything; even if it meant that he had to suffer a little bit more to make sure that happened.

Troy got up from his chair and he walked over to Gabriella's bed and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, feeling more love than he ever did before. He offered her one last smile before he left her room to go into Ethan's room which was right across from Gabriella's. Troy stood there, watching his son. He did not move a fraction from the last time he saw him. He still looked pale and sick. And there was nothing Troy could've done to help him get better. Troy could only pray and hope for the better. Troy sighed and walked further into the room and he pulled a chair up beside his son's bed and he could only stare at Ethan. In just a few short hours, Ethan looked different. He didn't look like the Ethan Troy loved and raised. With tears brimming around his eyes, Troy held Ethan's hand.

"Hey little guy. I guess you're not able to hear what I'm saying but I just really need to talk to you." Troy told his unconscious son, who said nothing in response. The only sound he heard was the beeping sound of his heart monitor. Troy sighed and closed his eyes, letting his tears fall from his eyes. He couldn't hold them in anymore.

"Ethan…you have to wake up. I know that the sleep you're in is comfortable, but you have to wake up. We still have so much we have to do. We both have to have more pirate adventures and we still have a whole cupboard full of James Bond movies that we still have to watch. And I still have to teach you how to play basketball! All those times when I told you I was too busy or I wasn't in the mood…I was going to make up for that! Please Ethan, you can't die on me now. You're going to have a baby brother or sister and they are going to want you to play with them! Your mother loves you more than she's loved anyone and it would kill her to know that you died. And its killing me! Its killing me, your father who loves you very much, to watch you attached to all these tubes and monitors! Please Ethan, I promise that if you just wake up I will be a better dad. I promise I'll play basketball with you everyday for as long as you want. I promise I will do anything you want me to do. You just have to wake up. Please Ethan; you can't leave your father like this!" Troy begged as he began to sob violently. But Ethan said nothing; he was as silent as a ghost.

Troy continued to sob as he rested his head on the bed beside his son's hand. He couldn't imagine a worse hell than watching his little boy fight for his life. Troy couldn't understand how a person as sick and vile as Victor could do this to a sweet four year old boy. It was immoral and the greatest sin. As Troy continued to sob and hold his son's hand, Troy began to wonder how he was going to take care of everyone when he couldn't even protect his own family. It once seemed so easy; not it's the hardest obstacle Troy could ever face.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**If you want me to continue, ten or more reviews please! Thanks guys!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	7. New Concerns

**New Concerns **

**Author's Note:**** Hey everyone! So I am pretty much recovering from my science exam and just taking myself out of my world to present this new chapter. Ten or more reviews if you want an update please!**

**Chapter Summary: ****It has been several months since Victor's attack and Ethan still has not woken up. Troy and Gabriella think that Victor is gone, but one phone call and knocks at three in the morning proved them wrong.**

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_There is a great difference between worry and concern. A __worried__ person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem._

_- Harold Stephens _

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It had been five months since the car crash and Ethan was still comatose, Gabriella was now almost eight months pregnant and Victor was nowhere to be found. Police believed that he had fled to Canada or had changed his name. Whatever assumption the police made, it only led back to one thing; Victor got away and left Troy's family broken to pieces. Ethan remained in the same condition; he didn't get worse or get better. As soon as Troy was finished shooting his scenes for his movie, he would go straight to the hospital and stay with Ethan. He would normally find Gabriella already there and they both just sat with Ethan in a silence. They would always stay with him for two or three hours, just so they could stay with him. There was no way for doctors to indicate whether he had gone into a vegetative state, but they talked to him, hoping that he would hear them and eventually wake up.

The events that happened with Victor had put a strain on Troy and Gabriella's relationship. Troy had to work everyday and Gabriella had to stay at home to work on her designs and she had to deal with her pregnancy on her own. Due to Ethan's condition, Troy and Gabriella had to decline the offer they put on the new house, which was a disappointment to Troy. Troy and Gabriella soon found that they were always arguing and getting upset over the smallest things. Due to Gabriella working at home, taking care of the new baby and worrying about Ethan has caused her to be almost twenty pounds underweight for a pregnant woman. Troy also noticed how much their fighting and bickering has taken a toll on their sex life. Several tabloids began to make stories about their relationship and told stories about how their marriage wasn't going to last very long. Their relationship was beginning to dwindle, but Troy refused to let it break apart. He knew he and Gabriella were just going through a rough patch; everything would get better eventually.

Troy was at Tess and Philip's restaurant, waiting for Tess to come with his order. He had told Wayne that he needed to take a week off work; the stress was too much for him to handle. He felt wrong going to work everyday when his wife was pregnant and his son was in the hospital dying. He wanted to be there for his family; he felt like he hadn't done that for them. They were all counting on him and he couldn't let them down. He sighed as he ran a hand through his sandy brown hair, patiently waiting for his order. Maybe he should do something special for Gabriella. They hadn't had date night since that night when Victor crashed his car into theirs. They had been arguing so much lately and he didn't want her to think that he was falling out of love with her. He had to assure her that he was still very much in love with her. He was shaken from his thoughts when he felt Tess tap his shoulder. She smiled when she caught his attention and held out three Styrofoam boxes for Troy to take.

"Here is your order, Troy. We have your caramel crunch cake in one box, olive pizza with fries in the other and chocolate fudge cake with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce in the other. Looks like someone is hungry." Tess teased with a smirk. Troy smiled halfheartedly as he took the boxes of food from Tess.

"No, it's Gabriella. Her cravings have kicked in and it's always the husband's job to satisfy those cravings." Troy quickly explained, trying to hide the exhaustion in his voice. Tess nodded her head and sighed as she cleaned off her star wars shirt that Philip gave her.

"Listen Troy, if you ever want me to stay at home with Gabriella while you go out and work on your movie, don't be afraid to call. Nothing means more to me than making sure that she has an easy pregnancy and I want you not to worry so much. I can see through that smile of yours; I know what's real and what's not." Tess told Troy with a sweet smile and caring eyes. Troy nodded his head with an appreciative smile. He really needed those words of comfort.

"Thanks Tess. I'll take you up on that offer. Hey, where's Phil? I feel like I haven't talked to him in days." Troy stated, finding it strange that Phil hadn't called him or stopped by to visit the past few days. Tess looked both ways before shrugging her shoulders at Troy.

"To be honest, I really don't know. Last time I checked, he went to the store down the road to get some more lemons. You want me to call him?" Tess offered. Troy shook his head with a sigh. He really would've liked to have seen Philip; he was always able to make him feel better.

"No, it's okay. I'll call him later tonight. Take it easy." Troy said as he left the restaurant and went to his car. Troy sat in his car and he thought to himself. That was weird. Philip wasn't there and Tess seemed perfectly okay. Troy knew that everything was okay, but Troy just felt a vibe. The vibe he felt was almost enough to make him feel uneasy and worried.

Troy ultimately decided that he wouldn't worry about it and he began to drive home to Gabriella. Before Troy left to satisfy Gabriella's cravings, Gabriella was in her design studio, making clothes for the baby. Gabriella had Taylor take her to her ultrasound and she found out what their baby was going to be. But Gabriella didn't tell Troy what the baby was; she wanted him to be surprised. She already had the nursery all designed and decorated but she locked the door and hid the key so Troy wouldn't find it. And she was sure to block the windows from the outside so Troy wouldn't get creative. Troy knew that she was trying to take care of the baby so Troy could take care of Ethan. Troy knew that she felt bad getting ready for the new baby when Ethan was in the hospital. She felt bad about doting over her unborn baby when her other child was in the hospital dying.

Troy continued to drive home when the sudden sound of his cell phone ringing was heard through the car. Troy saw that his cell phone was resting on the passengers' seat next to him. He extended a long hand and he clutched onto his phone and he looked down at the caller ID. He raised his eyebrows at the ID. It was Philip calling him. Did Tess call him and tell him that Troy had been asking for him? He didn't want Philip to think that there was an emergency and he had to call Troy right away. Troy flipped the phone open and he put the phone to his ear and mouth and he began to speak into the phone.

"Hey Phil, what's going on? I haven't seen you for days what's up?" Troy asked casually, waiting to hear Philip's laid back voice. But he didn't; he heard a long awkward pause. After repeating his name several times, he finally got a response. But it wasn't from Philip.

"Did you miss me?" A dangerously low voice asked. Troy was so taken aback that he almost swerved off the road. It was Victor; he was back. He was back for Gabriella. Anger had boiled up in Troy as soon as he heard Victor's voice.

"What the hell are you doing calling me Victor?! The next time I see you, I am going to rip you apart!" Troy threatened through his hissed teeth. Victor cackled through the phone.

"Still a little pissed off I see. Well, I can understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me. However there is someone here who wants to talk to you." Victor informed. Troy could hear the phone being moved around and soon enough, Troy could hear heavy breathing right in his ear.

"Troy! Troy, don't do what Victor tells you! Don't think of me; think of Gabriella and Ethan and that other baby! Troy…" Philip's panicked voice was soon faded out. A panic erupted in Troy.

"Phil! Oh god, Phil! Victor, don't touch Phil! He has nothing to do with any of this." Troy pleaded, fearing for his friend's life. Victor chuckled once more before telling Troy what he wanted to hear.

"You're right he doesn't have anything to do with this, but I had to get your number since you changed your home number. There is only one way that I will stop this. But you have to do what I say or else the terror will never stop and your friend here will die." Victor told Troy with pure evil in his raspy voice. Troy couldn't even talk; he had never met a man so sick in his whole life.

"Not the chatty one I see. Then let's get to business. If you just divorce Gabriella, leave the kids and stay out of her life I will leave you alone. I will leave you and Gabriella and those kids unharmed, but you have to give her to me. If you fail to do so, then I will continue to make your life hell and the only one who will suffer is Gabriella and that little unborn baby. I will stop at nothing until that baby is harmed if you fail to do so." Victor threatened, his low and evil voice sending chills down Troy's back.

"No. You are sick. I swear to God, I am going to hunt you down and I am going to kill you!" Troy half hollered into the phone. Victor did not hesitate to holler back at Troy.

"What did you just say?! What did you say to me you little shit?!" Victor screamed into the phone, the screaming hurting Troy's ear. But Troy didn't falter; he was going to fight this man if it was the last thing he did. No one was going to hurt his family if it was the last thing he did.

"You heard me! I am going to kill you. If you think that I would even think about abandoning my family just so you can force Gabriella into a life she doesn't want to have, then you don't know me. I don't listen to freaks." Troy angrily replied, not letting Victor win over him. He could hear Victor breathing heavily, like he had just been jogging for a few hours and he was tired and desperate for thirst.

"If you say anything to me that I don't like, you know who will have to pay the consequences. Not you, not Ethan, hell it's not even Gabriella! It will be that little baby. That sweet, little unborn baby that you are constantly doting over, will only live and die inside Gabriella. And I will stop at nothing until I make sure that it comes true." Victor hissed into the phone, his anger obvious and the horrid truth showing. Anger brewed up inside Troy as well. He wasn't just going to let that threat pass him by. He couldn't let Victor think that he was dominant over Troy.

"If you think that will happen, you're wrong as usual Victor. You're not going to win; you're going to fail and you will leave my family alone. If the police don't do anything about it, then I will take things into my own hands!" Troy screamed into the phone, unaware of just how much anger was in his voice. For the longest time, there was a silence. There was a dead silence. There were no sounds from Victor or Philip. There was no indication that they were still connected. Troy looked at is phone several times and saw they were still connected. Troy said Victor's name several times, trying to indicate if Victor was still on the phone. Just as Troy was prepared to hang up, he then heard Victor's wicked laugh on the other end and Philip's desperate pleas.

"You shouldn't have said that, Bolton. If I don't get to your little boy, then I would make sure that you're awake at midnight or else..." Victor told him in an eerie voice, before hanging up to the sound of Philip's screams. Troy's eyes were wide and his face was frozen as he listened to the ringing on the phone, indicating that Victor hung up on him. When the feeling finally came back to his fingers, Troy hung up his phone and drove in a daze. When he was fully conscious, Troy reopened his phone and he called Chad's cell phone, waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" Chad's voice answered. Troy sighed in relief and rushed into conversation.

"Chad, I need you to call my security and get them to stay at the hospital with Ethan all day and night okay?" Troy asked Chad, almost begging. Chad noticed something wrong.

"What's going on man? You sound panicked." Chad stated with worry. That was an understatement.

"Victor's back. He just called on Philip's phone. He's got Phil. Man, he made a threat against Ethan and the baby. Please tell security not to leave Ethan until I call and not to allow any visitors, unless it is me or Gabriella. Is that understood?" Troy frantically asked, rushing home to Gabriella by that point.

"I understand. I'll get right on that boss." Chad said before quickly hanging up. Troy flipped his phone off and he sped home. He could only imagine what Victor was doing to Philip and how far or close he was to Gabriella. When would this all end?

--

Troy groaned tiredly as he looked at the clock. The time was almost three in the morning. Victor said he would come at midnight. If Victor didn't come to his house, did that mean that he went to the hospital to see Ethan? Troy ditched that fear. He had just got off the phone with his security and they claimed that Ethan was fine and that Victor didn't show up. As soon as Troy got home, he called the police and told them about Victor's threat and they sent two police officers to stay on lookout for the night. Even though he knew that the police officers were going to be looking out for them, Troy refused to fall asleep. He was exhausted and he was becoming pale but he refused to fall asleep. He couldn't let his family get hurt.

Troy held back a yawn as he rested his head down on the kitchen table. It couldn't hurt to rest for five minutes. As he settled his head down on the table, his eyes began to grow heavy and he slowly began to close his eyes. He couldn't help but sigh in comfort. He may not have been in the most comfortable spot, but he was more comfortable than he had been in days. Troy struggled to keep his eyes open, until he felt a gentle touch run up and down his back. He lifted his head and saw Gabriella standing behind him with eyes full of worry. Gabriella wore white pajamas with black flower print and she looked just as tired as Troy did. Her pregnant belly was seen under her pajamas shirt, but she seemed so frail. The stress was obviously getting to her. Troy slowly lifted his head off the table and he turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her tumescent stomach.

"Hey, you should be in bed." Troy whispered as he placed a kiss on her pregnant belly. Gabriella only stared at him as she ran her hands through his hair.

"So should you." Gabriella whispered back to him. Troy sighed as he released her from his hold and watched as she took a seat next to him. They could see the stress in one another's eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm just going to wait for the police to tell us that everything is clear." Troy explained, the fatigue clearly showing in his voice. Gabriella shook her head as she took Troy's hand in hers.

"Troy, it's three in the morning. I'm worried about you when I see the dark circles under your eyes. This isn't healthy." Gabriella told Troy with concern in her voice. Troy stared at her, almost offended by her words.

"Don't you want to get this guy? Don't you want to stop the man who put our son in a coma and almost cost this baby its life? If you do, then I suggest you stop worrying about me sleeping and worry about how I'm going to catch this guy!" Troy harshly stated, the stress and exhaustion getting to him. Gabriella stared at him with hurt and insulted eyes. She knew that she and Troy weren't going through a good time, but this was ridiculous. It may have just been her hormones acting up, but tears began to form in her eyes. She looked away from Troy as they brimmed around her eyes.

"I'm going back to bed." Gabriella quickly stated as she jumped from her seat and ran for the stairs. Guilt soon took over Troy.

"Gabriella…" Troy called for her in a soothing voice, but she was long gone up the stairs. Troy sighed again as he ran a hand through his hair. He knew that he was just trying to get a point across to Gabriella, but when he saw her reaction he felt terrible. He knew that it was part of her pregnancy hormones, but he wished that she weren't so sensitive. Troy got up to go and apologize to Gabriella, when a sudden knock at the door was heard. Troy was very careful to open up the door as slowly as he could. He didn't know who it could've been. Troy sighed in relief when he saw one of the police officers holding a paper package.

"Sorry to disturb you Mr. Bolton, but some clown came by and gave us this. And I'm not kidding around when I say a clown came by; he told us to give this to you." The officer said, handing Troy the package. Troy took the package and he walked to his dinner table, allowing the police officer in the house. Troy ripped off the brown paper and he opened the box and he nearly screamed at the sight inside the box.

There was blood. Not a lot, but it was enough to let Troy know that someone needed stitches. It must've been Philip's blood. Under all the blood, Troy saw a photo. Troy grabbed the photo and he used a nearby kitchen cloth to wipe away the blood. He froze at the sight. It was one of Gabriella's model shots. This was from Victor. Troy examined the photo and when he turned the photo around, the words _**'She's next'**_ was written in big black letters, with Victor's initials scribbled at the bottom. Troy's hands were shaking as he handed the bloody photo and note to the officer, who began to inspect the photo. This threat was real; Gabriella was now a potential victim. And this time, Victor wouldn't stop until she was dead.

"We'll look into this Mr. Bolton. In the mean time, you need to rest." The officer told Troy as he took the photo and the package away and left the mansion.

Troy stood in a silence, unsure of what to say and do. This nightmare was real. He couldn't wake up. He couldn't even scream. He had to get out of this nightmare. Victor wasn't going to stop until he had Gabriella. Troy bolted to the stairs and he jogged up the stairs and he headed for his bedroom where he knew Gabriella would be asleep. He walked into his room and he saw Gabriella's sleeping form on their bed. She was safe; Victor hadn't crawled in through their window to hurt her. With a deep sigh of relief, Troy walked over to their bed and he stood over his wife's sleeping form. He knotted his fingers through her hair before lowering himself down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. She stirred at the gentle touch and her moderate breathing was all Troy could hear. Troy smiled weakly, but it didn't meet his eyes as he crawled in bed next to his wife and he wrapped an arm around his wife, resting his hand on her stomach, where he could feel the baby kicking. It was as if the baby were kicking to say 'be strong daddy, I need you'. Troy closed his eyes as the thought. Everybody needed him.

Gabriella needed him.

Ethan and the baby needed him.

Chad, Taylor, Sharpay and Ryan needed him.

Philip needed him.

And for whatever sick and inhumane reason he had, Victor needed him.

It was time for Troy to be concerned.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Please read and review guys!! Alanna xo**_


	8. Shooting

**Shooting **

**Author's Note: ****Howdy! So I am officially done my exams and I am currently awaiting my second semester. Just five months until summer! So if you want this story to continue, ten or more reviews is the deal. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy is back at work, but he is struggling to say his lines from all the stress. After watching his life flash before his eyes, he learns the fatal news about Ethan.**

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**

_  
And in the wake of his mistake  
So many lives are broken  
Gone forever from a loaded bullet  
And no excuse that you could use  
Could pull somebody through it  
And to this day so many say  
"God why'd you let him do it?"_

_- Nickelback 'Side of a Bullet'_

--

"No." Troy hissed out for the hundredth time. He knew that Gabriella always had a way of getting him to do something that he never wanted to do, but this was different. He couldn't do this. He refused to do this. No matter how adorable her puppy dog eyes were, he would not fall to her. He wouldn't let her have the satisfaction of knowing that she got him to do this. Gabriella sighed once more, beginning to get tired of begging him.

"Please. For me." Gabriella pleaded in a frail and tired voice. Troy placed his face in his hands. She sat behind him on their bed and she had yet to meet his eyes. Finally, Troy slowly turned to look back at her, his eyes were a piercing blue as he stared into her eyes. She looked tired; and he wished there was something he could to stop it.

"Why? Why do you want me to go so bad?" Troy asked as he turned fully towards her. Gabriella stared into his equally tired eyes and sighed. Troy always wanted her to justify herself when she suggested something like this. She knew Troy had his reasons, but it wasn't fair for her. She was his wife; not a prisoner who had to answer.

"Because you haven't been to work in two weeks, Troy! I know that you want to protect me and Ethan, but I can't help but feel that I'm holding you back from your job. I can't help but feel like…like you're trapped in your own home because of me when you should be going out and doing this movie, which is clearly a big deal for your future." Gabriella confessed, avoiding eye contact with Troy because she was afraid of seeing his reaction to her words. Troy stared at her with sympathy as he crawled up the bed and he rested down beside her and placed a hand on her swollen stomach. He didn't want her to feel that way.

"Don't ever think that Gabs. You and the kids mean more to me than anything and anyone in my life. I'm not trapped because I love you and I want our kids to stay healthy and get better. That's why I don't want to go to work; I want to nurture you all back to health." Troy sincerely told her, his eyes staring deeply into hers. Gabriella smiled weakly as she placed her tiny hand over Troy's. His hand felt so warm and soft. She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know you want to help us, but you have to help yourself too. You can go Troy, I was thinking of spending the day at the hospital with Ethan anyways. While you do your movie, I'll stay with Ethan. Everyone wins." Gabriella compromised, beginning to feel irritated that Troy was being so difficult. Troy pondered at her request. It didn't seem like too bad of an idea; she would be at the hospital with Ethan and obviously their little unborn baby would be with Gabriella; she would be protected. Troy would agree…just this once.

"Fine…but I want my dad to go with you." Troy said as he got up from the bed and began to walk towards the phone that rested on his dresser. Gabriella groaned as she sat up as well.

"Troy, no! I'm just going to see my son; I don't need your father to watch over me like I'm four!" Gabriella argued. Troy turned around quickly and he shook his head.

"Gabriella, if I'm going to be working on this movie I want to go knowing that you are with someone we both trust. And just because I agreed to let you have your way doesn't mean I can't have things my way too." Troy explained in a rush. Gabriella stared at him with absentminded eyes and only nodded her head. She may have wanted a little bit of freedom, but she could understand the reasons for Troy's paranoia. Troy nodded his head as he picked up the phone and asked his father to take Gabriella to the hospital to visit Ethan. Troy's father Jack agreed and told Troy he would be there in half an hour to take Gabriella. Once Troy got off the phone with his father, he got into a nice cold shower, got dressed and kissed Gabriella goodbye before driving to set, where he hoped things would go right for a change.

--

"Let's take it from the top…again." Wayne declared with annoyance and agitation in his voice. They were in an empty wooded lot to film a scene for the movie and Troy was struggling with his lines and actions. In the scene, Troy's character has a confrontation with Sharpay and Ryan's characters before the car chase begins. Troy had a lot on his mind and he kept stumbling over words, not feeling the emotion of the words and he kept forgetting his lines. Sharpay and Ryan were a little more understanding of Troy's line problems, but their director Wayne could've cared less. He was Hollywood's highest paid director and he won three academy awards for best director. He had the least bit of patience with Troy. Troy bit his lip as he said his line, trying to be as in character as he could.

"Why would you lie to me Julie? I thought we loved each other! And I thought you were my friend Rob." Troy said, sounding a little too angry.

"Troy, you're supposed to be passionate, add more passion!" Wayne hollered from the director's chair. Troy sighed in irritation as he did the line again, trying his hardest to please Wayne.

"I thought we loved each other. Why would you lie to me Rob? I thought you were my friend Julie!" Troy said, only to realize he mixed the order of his words and Wayne was quick to point it out.

"Damn it Bolton, you mixed the lines up! Troy it again before I kick your ass into the woods!" Wayne yelled, his anger and irritation towards Troy only increasing and growing to a large extent. Troy ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think through his lines. What was even happening in the scene? The only thing that he could think of was his son fighting for his life in the hospital, his unborn baby being tortured before even entering the world and his wife being killed in the slowest way possible. How was he expected to say his lines when he should have been worried about his family's wellbeing?

"Can we cut? I can't do this right now." Troy said as he began to storm off the set and he bolted to his chair. Ryan and Sharpay followed after him, feeling nothing but remorse for Troy. After hearing Wayne mutter 'what the hell was that' to himself, Troy sat in his chair as Chad handed him his water. Sharpay took Troy's side and rested her manicured hand on his back.

"Troy, don't worry about not getting the lines right. It's understandable. I'm amazed that you actually came to set. It's not a big deal, don't listen to Wayne." Sharpay encouraged, trying to offer some support to Troy. Troy only shook his head and drank his water. Chad clapped a hand on Troy's back as well.

"Dude, this guy is a heartless jerk. Don't listen to him." Chad said. Ryan nodded his head in agreement with Chad and his sister.

"If you want to go home and look after Gabriella and Ethan, go ahead. I'll talk to Wayne and I'll drill it into his head that your family is your top priority right now. If you want to go now, that's fine; there's nothing wrong with that." Ryan insisted to his best friend, knowing that Troy needed words of comfort more than anything. Wayne suddenly appeared in front of them, with angered eyes and a tense expression on his face.

"Yes there is something wrong with that, Evans. The three of you…get out of here. I have some business I would like to discuss with Mr. Bolton." Wayne demanded with a fire in his eyes. The two actors and assistant exchanged looks before walking away, leaving Troy alone with Wayne. Troy glanced at Wayne quickly before breaking eye contact with him to sip his water.

"I don't know who you think you are but when you come to set to work on my film, I expect you to come prepared. I don't care about those two Oscars that you won because they don't determine your work ethic, I do. I know that you're going through some issues, but I expect you not to mix your personal life with your work life. Do you understand me boy?!" Wayne hissed through his teeth. Troy glared at Wayne, trying to contain his anger.

"I would keep your mouth shut if I were you Wayne." Troy warned, trying to level his anger so he wouldn't lash out at Wayne. But it did no good.

"Is that a threat?! Are you threatening me?! If you know what's good for you, you will know not to do that again or else I will fire your ass." Wayne retorted angrily. Wayne touched a major nerve there; Troy soon burst out.

"Do you think that I want to be here right now?! My four year old son is in the hospital fighting for his life. My wife is pregnant with my child and she needs me there to help satisfy her needs. And on top of all that, we are both trying to overcome a stalker ordeal. These threats have not stopped and I watch the fear in my wife's eyes grow everyday as these threats become more severe. But yet, while I should be at home protecting them, I'm here on set with you making this god damn movie! Which place do you think I should!? HUH?!" Troy screamed as loud as he could. He knew that everyone was staring at them in silence but he didn't care. He wasn't going to let Wayne walk all over him.

"Don't turn the tables on me, Bolton. I'm not going to tell you this again; if you don't clean up your act, I'm going to shoot…" And almost like a dramatic effect, there were sudden sounds of gun shots and Wayne groaning in pain as he fell to the ground.

Wayne was just shot.

Wayne was shot in his abdomen. Bright red blood was slowly spewing out as he cried out in pain. Troy ducked down on impulse as more shots went off. There was a panic among the cast and crew as they ran around, not knowing where the shots were coming from. Troy looked behind him and in the distance on top of a white truck, he could see the shooter. It was Victor; he was initially aiming for Troy but he missed and hit Wayne. Troy clenched his jaw as he grabbed hold of Wayne and he darted away, swerving all the gun shots that were aimed for him. Despite the terror he felt, Troy couldn't help but have an adrenaline rush as he was running away with Wayne on his back. Everyone was running into the forest and hiding behind several trees and shrubs, but Troy just ran further. He couldn't stop. He had to go some place Victor wouldn't find him. He couldn't die like this; he needed to stay alive for his family's sake.

Finally, when they were far into the woods, Troy gently placed Wayne on the ground. Troy couldn't hear anyone; not even the sounds of crickets. The only thing he could hear was Wayne's loud heavy breathing, gasping for air. Troy pressed himself and Wayne up against a tree as he heard more gun shots firing in the distance. Not long after, he heard someone running in his direction. He clapped a hand over Wayne's mouth, silencing his loud gasps of pain. He had to make sure that they both made it out alive. He couldn't die and he refused to let Wayne die, even though he was a jerk. Troy was a mass of nerves as the footsteps became louder and louder with each step. Troy knew that there was nowhere to run now. This was the end. He was going to die; that much he knew. He wouldn't get to see Gabriella one last time and tell her how much he loved her. He wouldn't get to see Ethan wake up and teach him how to play basketball. And he would never see his baby be born and find out what gender it was. This was the end. Troy shut his eyes closed and waited for death to come.

"Troy?" A familiar voice said in astonishment. Troy's eyes snapped open and he sighed with relief. It was Ryan. Chad and Sharpay were behind him, staring at him in relief.

"Where is he?" Troy asked in a whisper, fearing that if he spoke any louder, Victor would find them.

"He left. When he saw that you were gone, he cursed to himself and he left. The three of us were hiding underneath your trailer and we saw him leave. I don't think anyone else was hurt." Sharpay said, he voice going a little louder than a whisper. Troy nodded his head and he looked over at Wayne who was breathing loudly and clutching at his gunshot wound.

"We have to get Wayne to the hospital. Sharpay call 911 while the three of us carry Wayne back to the set." Troy conducted as Ryan and Chad immediately helped Troy pick up Wayne and they carried him back to set while Sharpay called for an ambulance. Troy knew that Victor wanted him out of the picture, but he never imagined that he would go that far.

--

It had been an hour since Wayne was checked into the hospital and Troy was beginning to get impatient. He prayed silently in his mind that Wayne didn't die. He did everything he could until the ambulance showed up. He couldn't live with himself if he knew that he was the reason for Wayne's untimely death. Troy looked around the waiting room and he saw that Sharpay was half asleep on her brother's shoulder while Ryan was reading a newspaper he had found laying around. Chad sat beside him, texting Taylor what happened and not to wait up for him. Troy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. This was a nightmare. Was it ever going to stop? Who else was going to have to pay for something Troy didn't do? Troy's thoughts were soon interrupted by Doctor Henry walking into the waiting room.

"Well, seeing as how you are not blood related family members to Mr. Sullivan, I can only tell you that he's going to be fine. But due to his wound, your film is going to have to be postponed for a good two months. He should heal by then." Doctor Henry told them. Everyone sighed in relief. Even though their film was going to be postponed, they were thankful that Wayne was going to be okay. As everyone got up from their seats to leave the hospital, Troy began to walk in the other direction. Chad noticed.

"Troy, where you going man?" Chad asked as Troy turned to look at him. Troy smiled weakly as he pointed to the hospital rooms down the hall.

"My dad and Gabriella were spending the day here with Ethan so I'm going to go and check on them. I'll call you tonight." Troy said as he began to walk down the hall and towards Ethan's room. Troy saw his father, Jack sitting on a chair outside Ethan's room and Troy couldn't help but notice how tired and dejected his father looked. He must've heard what happened with Wayne.

"Hi dad." Troy feebly greeted, causing Jack to look up at Troy. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey Troy…what are you doing here?" Jack asked as he hugged his son. Troy returned the hug but was curious why his father hugged him. He was never the huggable kind of person, unless he needed one. Something was up.

"Its kind of complicated, you'll hear about it on the news in about ten minutes. Dad, are you okay? You look like you just lost a basketball game." Troy lightheartedly punned, hoping to bring some comic relief. But Jack did not smile or even acknowledge Troy's attempt to make him feel better. His eyes wandered back at Ethan's room before he looked back at Troy.

"You should go in there and talk to Gabriella. She's had a rough day." Jack said, his voice monotonous and dead. Troy felt his heart quicken. Something happened and Gabriella needed him.

"What happened?" Troy asked on impulse, worry in his sapphire blue eyes. Jack sighed and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I think you should talk to Gabriella. I want you to call me tomorrow so I can come over and help you guys out in some way. I'll bring your mother as well." Jack rambled as he began to walk away, leaving Troy standing alone in the hallway.

Troy was suddenly nervous about going in to face Gabriella. He already knew that it was going to be bad. It was going to leave him in tears; that much he knew already. He exhaled loudly before quietly entering the room to see his wife and son. Ethan was in the exact same position he had been for the past five months. Gabriella had fallen asleep on the edge of Ethan's bed. She was out cold; she didn't even move a muscle. Troy tiptoed over to Gabriella and he pulled a chair up beside her. Her long hair was blocking her face and with the lightest touch, he pushed it away so he could see her face. And then something on her face caught his attention. There were tearstains on her cheeks. She was crying. Troy knew that this was big. Filled with worry now, Troy gently began to shake Gabriella awake. He knew that she needed some sleep, but he needed to know why she was crying and what the bad news was. She stirred for a few moments until her eyes slowly opened, her usually vibrant brown eyes appeared to be dead and dull. She smiled weakly when she saw Troy.

"Hi…what are you doing here?" Gabriella asked as she began to sit up. Troy stared at her, not knowing what to say or what to expect.

"You were crying." Troy said, his voice almost disheartened. Gabriella stared at him, wondering how he knew that.

"How do you know?" Gabriella asked in a feeble voice. Troy extended a hand and he cupped her cheek into it. His thumb slowly caressed the tearstain that was visible on her now pale cheek.

"Tearstains." Troy mumbled gently kissing the tearstain that marked her cheek. Gabriella bit her lip and tears soon began to brim around her eyes. Just the thought of what had happened caused her to cry. She moved into the feel of Troy's hand and allowed her tears to soak up his hand.

"It's horrible. It's horrible…" Gabriella quietly sobbed. Troy placed his other hand on her cheek so he held her whole face in his hands.

"Gabriella, what happened?" Troy asked, his hands shaking in fear. He was terrified to find out what was wrong. Gabriella got a hold of herself as she looked at Ethan, who hadn't moved a fraction of an inch.

"It's Ethan. The doctors came in today and they said that Ethan's condition hasn't changed since he came here. And they said that if he didn't wake up in a month, they were going to take him off life support." Gabriella sobbed as she pulled herself into Troy's body. Troy froze with horror. Ethan would only have a month to get better or else he would die? No, this can't be happening. Not to his son. This was just a terrible vivid dream. His son couldn't die. As tears began to fill Troy's eyes, he wrapped his arms around his sobbing wife and tried to prevent her from hearing his cries.

"We're going to get through this…everything's going to be alright Gabriella." Troy assured her, not believing his words. Gabriella didn't say anything; she just continued to sob into Troy's chest. She was shaking and trembling and not even Troy's strong and buff arms could stop her. Troy pulled her in closer to his body and he just stared at Ethan's body. Nothing was more terrifying than seeing his son in that condition. And to know that he only had a month to get better was not comforting at all. Troy couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. Not until he knew that Ethan was going to be okay. But there was a very low chance of that happening.

He was going o kill Victor. That much he knew.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Please don't kill me and I will update soon! **_

_**Alanna xo**_


	9. Criminal Record

**Criminal Record**

**Author's Note:****Well hello there. I'm hoping everyone is good and in the mood for reviewing because I have a new chapter here! Please read and review. And please, if you have time, please read and review my story 'Incomplete'. It means a lot to me and it would make me feel happy right now.**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy learns the truth about Victor's past when someone leaves a file on Chad's doorstep. When Troy talks to the only person to have survived Victor's wrath, he finds out disturbing and terrifying information.**

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_The hunt is his obsession. He's never gonna stop!_

_-Edward Cullen 'Twilight' _

_--_

Troy awoke to the bright sunlight that streamed in through his room. It had been two days since the shooting and two days since Troy and Gabriella learned the fate of Ethan. Troy rolled onto his back and he sighed to himself. So much was happening and so much he had to put his family through. He didn't know how much longer he could take. It was all too much. It wasn't fair. He never did anything to deserve this. He was a charitable person, he preferred the company of Gabriella than any other woman and he would rather play with his son than go to work or going out to clubs. He was a family man and he didn't think about his fame. He just tried to be a normal person and give his child a happy and ordinary life. What did he do to deserve going through this kind of hell? He couldn't fathom a single reason why.

Troy turned on his left side and he watched as his wife slept. She had been having problems sleeping and Troy was thrilled to see that she was getting some sleep. Troy gently placed a hand on her very pregnant belly and he could feel the baby moving under his hand. Whatever gender their baby was, Troy already knew that he was going to love it to death. But he wouldn't replace Ethan with this baby. No child could ever replace his son. But Troy remained optimistic that Ethan would wake up to see his younger sibling be born. Troy gently began to run his hand up and down Gabriella's engorged stomach and he smiled feebly. Even though she had been stressed out during the whole pregnancy, she also loved being pregnant. She was in love with the idea that she was bringing a new life into the world. She always felt like pregnancy was a job and she loved her child before she would even know what it was. He loved her for it.

As Troy admired his wife's pregnant beauty, he heard his cell phone ringing. Troy looked over at his clock and saw that it was seven thirty in the morning. Who was calling at this hour? Being as quiet and gentle as he could, Troy go out of bed and he tiptoed to his dresser and he grabbed his phone before stepping out into the hallway. The caller ID said that it was Chad calling. Flipping his phone open, Troy put the phone to his mouth and ear and began to talk to his best friend. It must've been something important for him to be calling him this early.

"Hello?" Troy answered causally.

"Troy, man I'm sorry I woke you up so early but I have some information on Victor that I think you might want to know!" Chad exclaimed into the phone. Troy's heart thumped loudly in his chest. Chad found information about Victor?

"You do? Dude, that's awesome but how did you do that?" Troy asked.

"Someone just rang my doorbell and when I answered the door, I found a huge folder with a record on Victor in it. Whoever got this information must seriously have it out for Victor." Chad stated.

"Why? What do you mean?" Troy asked as he walked into Ethan's bedroom, which he always went into so he could feel some sort of long distance connection to him.

"Troy, this record that they left on my doorstep…it's at least twenty pages of his criminal acts. This guy is one screwed up dude. And get this; Victor's real name is Balthazar Coyle. Victor used to work for the FBI under that name and that's probably why the police couldn't find him when they searched Victor Costello." Chad stated. As Troy sat on Ethan's pirate themed bed, he tried to catch himself. Something was happening and he had to keep up with it all.

"What does his record say? And why isn't he an FBI agent anymore?" Troy asked as a series of questions popped into his head. He couldn't just pick out one question to ask. He could hear Chad flipping pages and then he made an 'Ah' sound, to indicate that he found what he was looking for.

"Here we go. Well it seems that '_Balthazar_' had a pretty troubled life. His mother left him when he was a baby and his alcoholic father used to throw punches at him until finally Victor runs away and he begins to get into trouble with some drugs and alcohol. But then he seemed to have cleaned up his act and began to work for the FBI. He worked there for three years until he took an interest in a twenty year old woman named Lilith Guevara. He began to stalk and send disturbing letters to her until she put a restraining order against him and this led to Victor being suspended from the FBI unit. He, of course, goes crazy and this leads to him stalking two more women and he raped and murdered both of them. Police searched for him but have never found him because it seems like he changed his name and moved around so no one could catch his trail." Chad said, reading the criminal record out loud to Troy. Troy was frozen and stiff. He knew Victor was screwed to hell, but he didn't think that he was that messed up. If he thought he was afraid of him before, he clearly didn't know what Victor was capable of now.

"This guy is screwed up. I don't think that makes me feel any better." Troy told Chad as he thought about those three women he had stalked and even murdered. He couldn't let Gabriella be the fourth.

"But there's more man. I cross-referenced the three victims and I also did with Gabriella. And get this…all four women have two things in common. They were both of Spanish or Filipino descent and they were all models." Chad informed Troy, the news being like a punch in the face. Gabriella had both qualities; she was the type of victim that Victor goes after. He had to put an end to this. But he needed to know how to; he needed to talk to someone who experienced something like this before.

"Chad, what's the only survivor's name? Lilith? I need you to find me an address or a phone number so I can talk to her." Troy said in a rush as he got up from Ethan's bed.

"Whoever left me this file also left that information too. She lives on 234 Wormwood road, about half an hour away from your house." Chad informed Troy. Troy said a quick thank you before hanging up on Chad and bolting into his bedroom. He threw open his cupboards of clothes and the ruckus woke up Gabriella. She looked up at Troy with weary eyes.

"Troy, what are you doing?" Gabriella asked with a yawn. Troy turned to face her as he threw on a shirt and slipped into his jeans. He wouldn't tell her the news about Victor; not yet at least.

"I have to go out for a bit. When I leave, I want you to call my mom and she'll come and stay with you until I come back. You got that?" Troy asked as he quickly put on his sandals. Gabriella groaned and rolled her eyes as she collapsed back down onto the bed.

"You're leaving me again? I feel like I see your parents babysitting me more than I see you there to love me a little bit." Gabriella complained, angered that Troy was leaving her again. She needed him; not his mom. Just because both her parents died before Ethan was born and she had a stalker on her tail, that didn't mean that she needed Troy's parents to act as her parents. She just needed Troy to stay with her and not become obsessed with finding Victor. Troy sighed to himself as he walked over to Gabriella's side of the bed and he got down on his knees so his face was at the same level as hers.

"Gabriella, Victor is not going to stop until he has you. Lord only knows what he did with Philip, and he's only getting started. You're his obsession. I want to go out knowing that you're with someone I can trust." Troy told her. Gabriella shook her head and looked away from Troy.

"It's not the same Troy. You're not even telling me where you're going. When we got married, we promised each other that there would be no secrets." Gabriella said with dejected eyes. Troy sighed as he took hold of her face in his hands. He remembered that promise; he remembered Gabriella was crying tears of love and joy when she heard his words. But he had to do this; he couldn't let her know about why he had to leave again.

"I know Gabriella. But this is just one more bump in the road that we have to face so we can help Ethan. I know you're tired and you're getting fed up, but I just have to do this one thing. I'll be back soon okay? I love you." Troy said, trying to convince her how much he truly loved and cared for her. Gabriella said nothing; she only smiled feebly and nodded her head. She wanted his actions to speak louder than his words. Troy nodded his head and he stroked her cheek one last time before he got up and left the house.

--

Troy hesitated before ringing the doorbell. He stood in front of Lilith's mansion door and tried to arrange what he was going to say in his mind. How should he tell her about Victor's stalking? How was he going to ask for her help? How was he going to even introduce himself? Questions circled through Troy's frenzied mind as he brought his finger up to the doorbell and he pushed it down, hearing a faint ringing in the background. He stood there waiting to be answered when he heard someone running to the door. His heart skipped a beat when Lilith opened the door. Lilith was indeed beautiful. It was obvious that she had been a model; she had the appearance and grace of one. She even looked like Gabriella. She had the same tanned skin as Gabriella; she had the dark chocolate eyes and the dark raven hair. She appeared to be about thirty or thirty-two years of age but there was not even a crease in her skin. She blinked in surprise when she saw Troy and she smiled nervously. She must have been a fan.

"Lilith Guevara?" Troy asked, his eyes locked in on hers. Lilith nodded her head, still in shock of seeing Troy Bolton at her front door.

"That's right." Lilith said. Troy smiled nervously to himself and he shook her hand.

"Hi, I'm Troy Bolton and I was wondering if it was alright if I came in and talked to you for a moment." Troy asked, deciding that he would take the conversation nice and slow. Lilith nodded her head and allowed him into her house. Troy accepted the gesture and he walked into her house and he followed Lilith as she led him to the living room. He took a seat on her couch as she sat on the other. Lilith smiled warmly at Troy and shrugged her shoulders in surprise.

"So what brings that famous Troy Bolton to my house?" Lilith asked inquisitively. Troy sighed to himself as he bit his lip. Now he had to tell her why he really came. She may not have wanted to talk about Victor, but he had no choice.

"Some sources have told me that you were once stalked by a man named Balthazar Coyle when you were twenty. Well that same man is stalking my wife and me, but he's going under the name Victor Costello. I came here today because I want to hear your side of the story. I want to hear how you escaped from him. Please, my son is in the hospital dying because of this man…please I need your help." Troy practically pleaded. Lilith's eyes were moistening at the memory of her stalker. It was painful; she had hoped to leave that in her past. But if she had the power to help the Bolton family from suffering the same kind of pain that she did, than she would hold her head up high and help.

"Well Troy…that was twelve years ago and I still get scared of what's moving in the shadows. After the restraining order was put against him, I still feared that he would come after me. I moved from my old home and I moved here. I even went as far as changing my name to Celine Fleur. You're the first person in twelve years, other than my family to have called me Lilith." Lilith told Troy.

"Why didn't he keep trying to go after you? I mean, he hasn't stopped attempting to get Gabriella but he seemed to have stopped with you." Troy stated. Lilith looked away from Troy and allowed tears to fall from her eyes. There was obviously more that happened that was being kept out of the papers.

"Something else happened…didn't it?" Troy asked skeptically. Lilith nodded her head as more tears fell from her eyes.

"It was about a month after the restraining order was put against him. It happened when I lived back in my old house. I was at work during fashion week and when I came home…I found my cat hanging by its back paws from the staircase and its head was decapitated. And on the walls, in my cats blood, the words 'you're next' were written. I then found a note from Victor telling me that if I called the police, he would find me, regardless of the restraining order and he would make me suffer a slow death just like my cat. I was so scared and I just had to leave. Do not underestimate this man Troy; you have no idea what he's capable of. If you think that he is sick and twisted, you have not seen him on his bad days. He's never going to stop!" Lilith warned Troy, her hands beginning to shake. Troy soon felt remorse for Lilith and Gabriella. He felt remorse for Lilith because she had been put through hell at such a young age and the pain clearly eats away at her. And he felt remorse for Gabriella because he didn't want this to dominate her life. He didn't want her to have a breakdown like the one Lilith was having. Troy put a hand on Lilith's shoulder and he tried to calm her down. He was successful.

"Hey it's alright. You're okay and he hasn't come after you since then." Troy encouraged her with a weak smile. Lilith looked over at him and she managed to smile weakly and nod her head.

"Thanks Troy. Now…you said that he's stalking you now?" Lilith asked. Troy nodded his head.

"Yeah he's going after my wife. He caused us to get into a car accident a few months ago and our son is in a coma." Troy briefly explained. He didn't bother to tell her that he only had a month; he refused to believe it was true.

"I see. And your wife…is she pretty?" Lilith asked. The abrupt question caused Troy to blush and smile. Gabriella always made him happy. She always knew how to make him smile.

"No, she's…she's beautiful." Troy gushed involuntarily. Lilith nodded her head and looked at a magazine article that had a photograph of a pregnant Gabriella walking to the store.

"And by the looks of it, she's pregnant with your baby." Lilith stated. Troy nodded with a smile once again.

"Yeah it's a miracle of life." Troy said, expecting Lilith to smile and congratulate him. But she didn't; she just gave him a stern stare and she said nothing.

"Keep her as far away from that man as you can." Lilith warned. The smile fell from Troy's face.

"I have been. I mean, I haven't had a good night sleep in months because I had to fight to keep her away from Victor. I have sacrificed sleep and a life just to keep her away from that man." Troy said in his defense. But Lilith shook her head from side to side.

"I'm not talking about Gabriella. I'm talking about that baby." Lilith informed Troy. Troy blinked in surprise. Troy had to protect their unborn baby more than Gabriella?

"Why do I have to make sure the baby doesn't go near Victor?" Troy asked. Lilith pointed to the picture of Gabriella very pregnant stomach and nodded her head.

"Like I said, that man is sick beyond belief. If a woman he stalks is pregnant with someone else's kid, he will go for the baby first. And I'm not supposed to know this information or even tell you this, but I'm assuming you heard about the two other models he raped and murdered." Lilith assumed. Troy nodded his head.

"Yeah I did." Troy mumbled.

"Well one of them died because she was pregnant with her boyfriend's child. I found out because my cousin was one of the police officers investigating the case." Lilith warned.

"But he said that he wanted Gabriella." Troy said, letting the news sink in.

"Why do you think he crashed into Gabriella's side of the car? Because he must've known she was pregnant, and it was also another way for him to get rid of your son. Troy, you really should go home. Lord only knows how long it will be before that vile creature breaks into your house to get the baby, as well as your wife." Lilith demanded. With no hesitation, Troy jumped up from the couch and he quickly hugged Lilith before he escorted himself out of her house and he ran to his car. And, almost at the speed of light, he zoomed half way down the street.

As Troy struggled not to go over the speed limit, he grabbed his phone and dialed his mother's cell number. He prayed and hoped that she was with Gabriella and that he was just being paranoid. Lilith's information about Victor rang through his head. It all made sense to him now. Victor kept trying to hurt Gabriella because she was pregnant. As much as he wanted her, he couldn't stand the fact that she was going to have another child with Troy. And that would also explain why he put Ethan in the hospital. Everyone was a victim now; everyone was going to die at the hands of Victor. But Troy was going to stop it if it was the last thing he did.

"Hello?" Lucille Bolton, Troy's mother, answered.

"Hi mom it's me." Troy said, trying to hide all paranoia in his voice.

"Oh hi honey, how are you?" Lucille asked politely and very motherly.

"I'm fine thanks mom. Are you with Gabriella? I asked her to call you so you could watch her while I was gone." Troy said, praying in his mind that she was with Gabriella.

"No, I'm not with Gabriella. I was for about half an hour, but then her friend came and took her out to lunch. I believe it was Tess. Gabriella saw that she seemed a little heartbroken that Philip was still missing so she went with her. I didn't go with them because Gabriella hasn't had much freedom since this big ordeal happened and Tess seems like a lovely girl and I know that she is very close to you and Gabriella." Lucille explained over the phone. Troy's head was spinning. Gabriella wasn't with his mom; she was with Tess. As much as he trusted Tess, he wanted her to be with his mom; she was a fighter like his father and she would've kept Gabriella safe from Victor. Tess didn't know how far Victor will go to get Gabriella.

"Are you at my house mom? And how long ago did they leave?" Troy asked, panic in his voice.

"They left about an hour ago. No, I'm not at your house. I'm visiting Ethan at the hospital with your father." Lucille informed Troy. Troy was going to shoot himself. This can't be happening. He wasn't there to protect Gabriella and neither was his family; Victor was going to be on the prowl for Gabriella, for sure.

"Thanks mom, I'll call you later." Troy quickly said as he hung up on his mother. Troy threw his phone down onto the passengers' seat next to him and he angrily groaned to himself.

"Damn it!" He yelled to himself. Slamming his foot onto the gas pedal, Troy sped home as fast as he could. He could only think of bad thing's happening. He had to get home before Gabriella would; he may have been looking into this too much, but he would risk it all for his family. He wouldn't have it any other way.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Hmm, so what will happen in the next chapter? Will Gabriella be alright? 10 or more reviews to find out!!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	10. Victor Attacks Gabriella

**Victor Attacks Gabriella**

**Author's Note: ****Hi everyone. So here is my newest chapter and I'll be expecting some reviews soon. This is the halfway point to the story, meaning that there are only ten more chapters to go and then this story is done! Thanks so much for all who have read and reviewed already; I am indebted to all of you. **

**Chapter Summary: ****Gabriella comes home to what she thinks is an empty house. But what she doesn't know is that Victor is hiding in her house. And he is waiting to attack.**

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_You can slap me in the face  
You can scream profanity  
Leave me here to die alone but  
I'll still follow you home  
I'll still follow you home_

_- Nickelback 'Follow You Home'_

_--_

Tess looked over at Gabriella, who was sitting in her car and silently crying and sighed to herself. After she took her out to lunch, Gabriella asked if Tess could take her to the hospital to see Ethan. Tess just forced a smile and said she would and since they left the hospital, Gabriella had not stopped crying. Apart of Tess did feel bad; she did feel remorse for Gabriella's family. She remembered the times she used to babysit Ethan with Sharpay and how sweet he was. He shouldn't have had to suffer. But she had been given a job to do and she had to complete it. No matter what it took; that was the rule. She couldn't think of who was going to have to pay for her actions; she had to go in with a heart of stone.

"Don't worry about it Gabriella. You and Troy are amazing parents to Ethan and I know that he's going to be fine." Tess encouraged, covering her act so her thoughts could be less evil. But it didn't help; she only felt darker because of how two-faced she had become since taking this lethal job. Gabriella just sighed as more tears fell from her eyes. She didn't find comfort in her words at all.

"I don't know if that's going to be enough Tess. His condition hasn't changed; I don't want to believe it as much as you but I can't just keep him suffering like this. If he doesn't get better, the doctors won't be the ones to pull the plug. It kills me to see my son suffer." Gabriella cried, the idea of it all just killing her. Tess nodded her head as she pulled up into Gabriella's long driveway. She swiftly got out of her car and she helped Gabriella out of her side. They both began to walk towards her house, when Tess felt her phone vibrate once, indicating that she had just got a text message from someone. She flipped the phone open and she froze when she saw the text message and she nervously looked over at Gabriella.

"Hey Gabriella, the investigator I'm working with just tried to call me but the reception I'm getting here is bad so I'll be right back okay?" Tess asked with a smile. Gabriella smiled weakly and nodded her head as she placed a hand on her pregnant stomach.

"Do whatever you need to." Gabriella assured her. Tess nodded her head and she walked to the side of Gabriella's house. She turned to make sure that Gabriella hadn't followed her and saw that she wasn't there and that she was sitting on her front steps. Tess sighed in relief and she turned away and right before her eyes were Victor's evil eyes. She almost screamed in shock, but she placed a hand over her mouth.

"Shit, Victor you scared the hell out of me!" Tess hissed through her teeth. Victor rolled his eyes, showing no remorse for Tess.

"Save it Tess. She's here alone and that's the important thing." Victor stated. Tess sighed as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Victor, I don't want to do this anymore. Don't hurt her please. You never said that you would do this. I can't be responsible for this." Tess pleaded. Victor rolled his eyes and he grabbed her shoulder roughly, causing Tess to flinch in pain.

"Oh but you are, sweetheart. You were the one who helped me make the plans to exterminate Ethan and that other baby. You are just as involved in this as I am. We have been planning this moment for months and I will not allow you to ruin it for me by going all noble. Am I right or no?" Victor hissed through his teeth. Tess blinked and nodded her head. Why would she doubt this? This was what she wanted. As wrong as it was, it was what she wanted and needed to happen.

"You're right…I'm sorry Victor. You know what you're doing and I shouldn't doubt you. You know what you're doing. But before I go, has Phil…?" Tess began to ask but she was quickly interrupted by Victor.

"No. He hasn't…yet. Now give me the lock pick so I can get in through the second story window now." Victor demanded. With no hesitation, Tess went into the pocket of her ripped jeans and she handed him the lock pick. With a nod, Tess walked back to Gabriella who stood up from her steps to fix her white halter dress. Tess put on a phony smile and pointed to her car.

"The investigators have found some new evidence on Philip's whereabouts so I'm going to go and meet with them. I will call you later tonight." Tess said as she walked over and hugged Gabriella. Gabriella hugged Tess back and she offered Tess a weak smile.

"Thanks Tess. I'll see you later." Gabriella weakly said as she began to walk towards her house. As Tess got into her car, she smiled an evil smile to herself.

"Oh sugar, you won't see me ever again." Tess said to herself as she drove away from the crime scene that was about to begin.

As Gabriella wiped away remaining tears from her cheeks, she froze in her steps when she heard something drop from upstairs. That was weird. Troy wasn't home. Or so she thought. As much as she wanted to believe that he had come home early to surprise her, she remained alert and aware. It may have been a threat coming to harm her. She slowly walked up the stairs, careful not to make any creaks as she walked up the stairs. She tiptoed into her bedroom and saw that it was in perfect order. Except for her wedding picture; it fell off the dresser. It must've been too close to the edge and it fell. She sighed to herself as she picked up her wedding picture and put it back on the dresser. She was beginning to pick up Troy's paranoia. When she put her wedding picture back into place, she found a yellow sticky note attached to it. And in big black letters, it said _**'Turn Around'**_. Gabriella froze in horror. Slowly turning around, she prepared to see a face behind her. But she didn't; she didn't see anybody.

Until Victor came storming out of her closet with a knife.

Gabriella screamed as loud as she could as she grabbed a nearby vase and she threw it at Victor's head. He cursed out loud as Gabriella pushed him out of the way so she could escape. She quickened her pace down the stairs when she heard Victor coming after her. She could sense Victor being close behind her and she grabbed another vase and threw it behind her, hearing it make a loud thud against Victor's head. She was just three steps away from the front door. She reached a hand out to turn the knob, but she then felt Victor's strong and rough arms wrap around her neck while his other hand pressed a neck up against her neck. She froze when she saw the knife.

"If you don't do what I say, this blade will not only go through your throat, but it will also go through your stomach and into that precious unborn baby of yours. You understand?" Victor hissed into her ear. Gabriella didn't move or say a single word; she couldn't let this man kill her unborn child. She had to fight for this child. She wasn't ready to let this man take that baby away before its time even started. She was a mother; she had to sacrifice herself for her children.

Victor sensed the fear and terror that Gabriella felt and he slowly dragged her over to a wooden chair that he had set out. Without having to force her or tell her, Gabriella sat in the chair as she trembled and shook nervously. Gabriella sat there helplessly as Victor went into his backpack and grabbed a large quantity of rope. Gabriella didn't stop him as he began to tie her hands together from behind her back. Gabriella's hands trembled as they were being tied together. This may possibly be the end; she may not live to see Ethan, Troy or her unborn baby. She looked over at Victor as he then grabbed some duct tape and he tied her legs to the chair as well.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to my family?" Gabriella pleaded, her voice shaking as she spoke. Victor looked up at her and he grinned devilishly at Gabriella.

"Because you are having children that aren't mine." Victor vaguely informed her. Gabriella's eyes widened in fear; her family was suffering because she was having children with Troy? Something did not seem rational.

"You are mentally ill. You need help! I'm married; I should be allowed to have children with my husband. I'm sorry that I'm in love with Troy, but that's not worth killing people over!" Gabriella begged, trying to drill some sense into Victor's head. Victor's eyes darkened as he rose to his feet, staring deeply into Gabriella's brown orbs that were now filled with fear.

"Oh believe me…it is. But I have a negotiation to make with you. But I don't want you to interrupt me, so I'm going to silence that pretty little mouth of yours." Victor said above a whisper as he delicately placed a piece of duct tape across Gabriella's mouth. Gabriella tried to speak over the gag, but it didn't help; her words were muffled from the gag. Victor chuckled at her attempt to try and speak and he pulled up a chair and sat across from her.

"I want you; that much is obvious. I will not stop until I have you. But I'm going to make an offer. I will let you live and have this baby and I will let the other kid and what's his face live. But, however, there is a condition. If you file for divorce and leave your two kids with Troy and come away with me…this will all be over. You're kids will live to see their next birthday, your husband will be able to move on with his life and he will never have to worry about taking care of you. And the best part about it all? You'll be my wife. You'll have my children. And I'll finally have you. You won't have to worry about Troy protecting you when you know that he can't; you'll have me there to care for you. I see it all when I look at the two of you together; there's a strain between you both. There are obviously problems happening. And it seems that the problem is always because of you. He has to sacrifice and lose his life and career just to make sure little old you is safe. At least this way, he won't have to worry or care anymore. So what'll it be sugar? Will you leave Troy and your family so you can be mine?" Victor asked as he slowly took the duct tape off from Gabriella's lips. With fierce and bold eyes, Gabriella just stared at Victor and said nothing for the longest time. After what seemed like minutes, Gabriella finally spoke.

"Over my dead body." Gabriella hissed out through her teeth before she spat in Victor's face. Victor was stunned. He couldn't believe it; she still told him no and she spat in his face. With anger in his face, he quickly and roughly put the gag back over Gabriella's lip. As he wiped the spit off his face, he walked back to his backpack and as quick as the speed of light, he pulled out a gun. Gabriella's eyes widened as Victor aimed the gun at Gabriella's head and had pure evil in his eyes.

"That can be arranged." Victor told her in a dark and evil voice. Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut and waited for a pain to come. She waited for death to take over.

But it never came.

She heard a door slam open.

"Get the hell away from her!" A familiar voice screamed. Gabriella's eyes snapped open and she looked over. It was Troy; he just got home. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. Victor groaned to himself when he turned fully towards Troy, dropping the gun to his side.

"Well if it isn't you…I'm so thrilled to see you." Victor angrily sneered as he walked towards Troy. Troy pointed his hand at Gabriella, who sat bound, gagged and helpless.

"Let. Her. Go. Now." Troy emphasized each word so Victor would understand. Victor shook his head from side to side with an evil smirk on his face.

"Sorry…that won't do. She's the reason for all this." Victor told him.

"Victor, I know about your past. I know that your real name is Balthazar. I know about those girls you stalked and murdered and I know that your father used to physically abuse you." Troy said, extending an arm out to warn Victor to keep his distance from him. Victor's face twitched suddenly when he heard the mention of his father.

"Do you think that was all he did to me? You don't know even know the half of it! He used me as a beat-up bag and then he would sexually abuse me everyday for as long as he wanted. I was a sex slave to my own father! I didn't even do anything! So now, I'm going to do the same thing to your little wife; she's my only way of dealing with this pain. And I don't mind making anyone suffer." Victor hissed through his teeth. That was it; he went too far. Troy twitched with anger as he lifted up his clenched fist and punched Victor right in the jaw. Victor yelped in pain as Troy repeatedly began to punch Victor in the face.

Victor suddenly turned on Troy and he elbowed Troy right in the stomach, causing Troy to loudly grunt. Victor then kneed Troy in the stomach and he watched as Troy fell to the ground. Gabriella screamed from under her gag, begging for Troy to get up. She couldn't watch her husband get murdered before her eyes. Troy quickly sprang to his feet and he kicked Victor in the groin, which caused Victor to flinch and yell out in pain. Troy then grabbed Victor by the back of the neck and he slammed his face in the iron fireplace. Troy could see the blood coming out of Victor as he continued to bash his face into the fireplace. Finally, Victor went limp. Troy dropped him to the ground and looked at his limp form. Troy then got down onto his knees and checked his pulse. It was still beating; he was still alive. Before Troy could check to see if Victor really was unconscious, he was interrupted by the sound of muffled sobs. It was Gabriella; she was still confined to the chair.

"Oh god." Troy muttered to himself as he ran over to her. She immediately untied Gabriella's legs and he picked up the knife Victor threatened Gabriella with and he cut the rope that bound her hands together. Troy then slowly and gently removed the duct tape from Gabriella's lips and a cry soon filled the room as Gabriella threw her arms around Troy and she began to cry into the crook of his neck. Troy wrapped his arms around her and he gently kissed her shoulder which kept shaking up and down. He tried to imagine what she went through when Victor attacked her and he shuddered in fear.

"Its okay…I'm here now." Troy whispered into her ear. Gabriella clenched her nails into his shoulders as she looked up at him with red and puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry." Gabriella whispered out. Troy stared into her brown orbs and he gently wiped away one of her tears with the pad of his thumb. He then caught a glimpse of Victor's motionless body and Gabriella turned to look and she nearly screamed at the bloody sight of Victor.

"Oh my god…Troy what are we…" Gabriella began to ask but then Troy stormed up and he walked over Victor's body and he threw him over his shoulder.

"I'm going to go and get rid of this problem. I'll leave him somewhere far." Troy stated as he began to walk to the front door. Gabriella followed after him.

"Here, let me help you." Gabriella offered as she tried to take Troy's side, but Troy whipped around with a sudden annoyance in his eyes.

"No! You are staying right here in this house. Like you should have done before. And call my mom this time; maybe if you had done what I had asked none of this would have happened." Troy harshly told her as he stormed out of the house and slammed the door.

Gabriella stood alone in a broken and lonely house, trying to tell herself to move. But it was like she was stuck to that one particular spot; she couldn't fathom why she was in such shock. Finally, Gabriella moved towards the wreckage of broken vases and figures and she began to pick up the broken fragments of ceramic and she dumped them in the trash. She felt one of the broken pieces cut her hand. As she hissed out a cuss word, she rushed over to the sink and she ran it under some cold water, hoping to wash out the blood. When all was washed out and done, the sink turned off and Gabriella began to sob as loud as she could. She was just attacked by her stalker. Her stalker made a threat against her husband and children's life. But Troy came just in time to save the day. She should've felt grateful; she should've felt proud of him. But instead she felt guilt and regret. As she stood there and cried, she began to wonder if Victor was right; were there really problems between her and Troy?

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Please read and review if you want an update!!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	11. Tensions Rise

**Tensions Rise**

**Author's Note: ****Hi everyone. So I really appreciate all your reviews because they made me smile and I really needed to hear all those things; I needed to hear your kind words. Anyway, keep me smiling and review!**

**Chapter Summary: ****Gabriella and Troy find that they are arguing more than usual and neither one can take it anymore; they have to let it all out.**

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'_Cause it rains in your bedroom  
everything is wrong  
it rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone  
'cause I was there when you said forever and always_

_- Taylor Swift 'Forever & Always'_

_--_

It was already ten o'clock at night and Troy still wasn't home yet. Gabriella sat at the kitchen table, a plate with untouched olives in front of her and she still wore the same white halter dress she wore earlier that day. She still couldn't get over the attacks; it seemed so surreal to her. She couldn't fathom what had happened. But she was more worried about Troy than herself. He still wasn't back yet and she was becoming worried. But she always worried about confronting him when he would come back; she knew that they were bound to get into an argument; they always got into stupid little arguments. But this would be no stupid argument; this would be_ the_ argument. And this argument just might ruin their marriage.

As that last thought lingered, Gabriella heard the front door open. Gabriella whipped her head and she saw Troy walk in, his eyes solemn and worn out. He looked like he would collapse any moment. Gabriella looked away when she saw Troy walk into the kitchen. They were going to be incredibly awkward with one another; they both didn't know what to say. Gabriella knew that Troy was going to ask her about why she didn't call his parents to come and watch her; she knew that would be the first thing Troy would ask once he sat himself down to talk to her. Troy sighed as he sat in the chair next to Gabriella. They remained in a silence for several moments until Troy sighed once more and he looked at Gabriella.

"Was my mother here when I left?" Troy asked, his most asked question being heard throughout the room. Gabriella could've lied; but she couldn't lie to Troy. She just couldn't. She never lied to him before and she didn't plan on starting.

"No." Gabriella said just above a whisper. Troy rolled his eyes as he looked the other direction.

"Of course you didn't." Troy muttered, not intending on letting Gabriella hear him. But she did; but she didn't say anything to his face about it. She ran a hand through her hair and she sighed quietly to herself. She had to keep things from getting awkward; she couldn't let anything lead to an argument like always.

"So…um, what did you do with Victor?" Gabriella asked with worry and curiosity in her voice. Troy looked back at her and he shrugged his shoulders, having very little interest in the subject of Victor. He obviously had something else on his mind.

"I just drove to the police station and I just dumped him there. He was still unconscious when I left him and the police officers said that because it was self-defense I wouldn't be charged. How are you holding up?" Troy asked, trying to communicate with his obviously tensed wife. Gabriella pondered that question. How was she holding up? She was amazed she hadn't broken down yet. She should've been a basket case. It wasn't long until she felt her hands shake nervously.

"I don't know how I am even keeping myself up. I'm just terrified completely. I feel like I'm going to be sick. Ethan doesn't have much longer, work has been piling up and Victor just tried to kill us and our baby. I don't understand how a human being could do that to another human being." Gabriella said, the fear she felt earlier that day were quickly resurfacing. Troy loudly grunted as he rolled his eyes. He then gave Gabriella a long cold stare.

"Well maybe that human being wouldn't have done that to this human being sitting in front of me if she had just listened to me and called my mom, like she was supposed to do!" Troy argued, bitterness in his voice. Gabriella angrily groaned to herself. She knew Troy would say something about her not calling Lucille or Jack; that was such a Troy thing now. She didn't want to hear this speech from Troy again.

"You know what Troy? I know I screwed up! I know that I didn't follow one of your rules, but you were not innocent either! You just left me; you just left and didn't tell me where the hell you were going! You were the one who disappeared and left me here alone!" Gabriella argued in return. Troy's cold stare became even colder as he stared down at Gabriella.

"You want to know why I left, Gabriella? I left so I could figure out how I could get rid of _your _stalker. I had to find a way to save you from a man that is obsessed with _you_! He's not obsessed with me. It's _you_!" Troy harshly stated, emphasizing the '_you_' in his sentences so Gabriella understood why he was getting frustrated. Gabriella rolled her eyes as the anger inside her began to boil over. She tried to tame it, but she was struggling. She tried to keep herself under control but she found her anger grow incessantly as she spoke to Troy.

"So why couldn't you have just told me?! If you had just left to go and deal with Victor, then why did you have to keep it a secret from me? Why wouldn't you just let me know why you would go?" Gabriella rudely questioned, crossing her arms across her chest. Troy stared at her and he noticed the tone she had in her voice. It sounded like she was suspicious of him for something he did.

"You're not saying that I went off to fool around with some woman are you?" Troy asked, finding Gabriella's accusation absurd and untrue. Gabriella raised her eyebrows and allowed an angry frown to grow on her face.

"That wasn't what I was thinking; you were. So obviously there is something you want to get off your chest." Gabriella accused once more. Troy groaned loudly and he slammed his fist on the table.

"God damn it Gabriella, I am not cheating on you! I'm too busy with my work and taking care of you and your problems to even consider sneaking out with another woman!" Troy hollered, realizing the wording of his sentence came out wrong when he saw Gabriella's eyes moisten, but no tears came out. Yet.

"Oh so you're saying that you have considered this before?! Well that's just great Troy; that's just great! Why don't you just go now and go clubbing with all those sluts?! It's not like you have a family that needs you and it's not like you give a shit about them!" Gabriella half screamed as her face began to turn red. Her words cut Troy deep; he didn't want to hear something as awful and untrue as that from Gabriella. He loved her and he couldn't let her think like that. It hurt him; but he didn't tone his anger down. His anger only grew to an outrageous and high level.

"I didn't say that! And don't you dare accuse me of ever not loving you or our children! I love you! Damn it, I _love_ you!" Troy hissed through his teeth, finding it a strain to not resort to extreme verbal fighting. Gabriella rolled her eyes as she got up from her chair and walked over to the sink, angrily placing dirty plates into the sink.

"You sure have a funny way of showing it." Gabriella muttered, just loud enough so Troy could hear. And he did; Troy slammed his fist down onto the table once more as he got up and stood by Gabriella as she roughly cleaned the dishes. He didn't want to argue; he really didn't. But he couldn't bottle these unsaid emotions anymore; he had to let them out.

"I shouldn't have to prove myself to you Gabriella! You're my wife and the mother of my kids. I am playing with fire just to keep you safe from this maniac and I am giving up everything just to make sure that you're okay! What else do I have to do to prove myself Gabriella?! What am I supposed to do?!" Troy hollered, frustration getting the best of him. Gabriella stopped cleaning the plates and she abruptly and angrily turned to Troy, pure anger and annoyance in her chocolate brown eyes.

"That doesn't prove a damn thing! You can say that you love me because I'm your wife and the mother of your kids but that doesn't mean anything! You're just standing here yelling at me for something that another man did to me. I don't see you punishing him or getting angry with him; I didn't even do anything! All I did was go out to lunch with our good friend and suddenly that's a big crime in your book! If that isn't considered possessive and obsessive then I don't know what it is! You are not the same man I knew Troy. You are not that man I married. You're just a stranger to me now! I am afraid of you and I don't know if I can take anymore of your…" Gabriella began to angrily yell until Troy stopped her when he snapped. He grabbed the pile of the plates that she had been cleaning and he chucked them to the ground, a loud smash silencing Gabriella. She was in shock of his abrupt action; Troy was never one to snap so maliciously like that. And it didn't take long for Gabriella to see that his blue eyes were turning into a fiery red.

"ENOUGH!" Troy barked, causing Gabriella to jump back in alarm. Gabriella felt herself becoming small as Troy towered over her, unable to stop his anger that continued to grow.

"You know what? I have done nothing but work my ass off just so you can go to sleep at night with no worries! I haven't slept in almost six months Gabriella! Have I not sacrificed enough for you?! Have I not worked hard enough to keep you safe?! I went to hell and back for you but I don't even know if that's worth it! If you appreciate anything that I have done for you, then I suggest you give me a little respect before I show you myself!" Troy screamed at the top of his lungs as his face began to turn beet red and his eyes were almost gouging out of his sockets. Gabriella's eyes softened and she felt tears beginning to build from behind her eyes. She never had an argument like this with Troy. They had some pretty bad arguments, but this was the worst it had ever been. They were on the verge of leaving each other. They were both just getting under each other's skin; they didn't mean what they had said. But it hurt to hear it from each other.

"Fine. If that's how you feel about me then maybe I should just take Victor's advice and divorce you!" Gabriella hissed as she stormed out of the kitchen. Troy stared at her in shock. What was she talking about? Victor told her to divorce him? Troy quickly followed after Gabriella into their living room and he jumped in front of her, stopping her from leaving their home. His eyes were now concerned.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Troy asked. Gabriella stared into his concerned blue eyes and she sighed to herself. She figured if she told Troy what happened, they would be able to solve some problems together.

"When Victor had me tied to the chair…he told me that if I divorced you, left the kids with you and married Victor…he would stop hurting us. He would leave our kids alone; he would let you live the life you want to live and you would never be bothered ever again." Gabriella told Troy, her eyes going bleak as she remembered the fear Victor put into her when he had her tied to that chair. Troy stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't have honestly believed that could she?

"Oh come one Gabriella, are you serious?! Do you think that he will keep his word? This will never stop; he just wants you to divorce me so he can continue to hurt us and the rest of our family! He's lying!" Troy exclaimed, trying to convince Gabriella not to go through with this. Gabriella bit her lip as she fought back the tears. She really didn't want to fight; but she couldn't handle it anymore.

"Who says I wasn't considering divorce before Victor came?!" Gabriella hissed through her teeth as she began to walk away again, but Troy blocked her, preventing her from leaving. Gabriella saw the sternness in his eyes and she tried to push through but he did not budge. He was too strong.

"MOVE! Get out of the way! Let me through!" Gabriella retorted as she tried to get past Troy, but he refused to let her go. When she saw that she had no chance of getting by, she collapsed into a fit of tears and she did not try to silence her loud and wild sobs. Troy gently hushed her as he wrapped his arms around his distraught wife.

"Sh, it's okay." Troy whispered as he held her close to his body. This was what Victor wanted; he wanted them to break down and get to the point of leaving each other. Gabriella slowly lifted her head from Troy's chest and she looked into his blue eyes with red and puffy eyes.

"I can't take this anymore. I'm tired of fighting. I can't do this." Gabriella cried. Troy hushed her gently once more as he intertwined their hands together.

"Come on; let's get you into a nice, warm bubble bath." Troy suggested as he led Gabriella up the stairs and into their bedroom.

As Gabriella got into her bathrobe, Troy walked into their luxury bathroom and he began to run the water in the tub. He put his hand under the running water and it was just the right temperature. It wasn't cold and it wasn't too hot; it was the perfect temperature. As the water rose, Troy put the bubbly bath mix into the tub and watched as bubbles began to form. As the water continued to rise to the top, Gabriella walked into the bathroom, wearing her pale yellow bathrobe. Troy smiled at her as she walked to the tub and she dipped her hand into the water, feeling the warmth of it. Troy got up to put his phone on the counter as Gabriella took her robe off and went into the bathtub. By the time Troy turned around, the water and bubbles filled the bathtub, the only parts of Gabriella seen were her head and her large belly. Troy turned the faucet off and he pulled up a stool and sat next to the tub.

"You're not coming in?" Gabriella asked innocently. Troy blushed and he shook his head with a shy smile.

"I would but it seems that little no name there is taking up all the room." Troy said, causing them both to chuckle. Gabriella sighed as she ran a hand down her stomach, the warm water causing her hand to slip.

"Troy…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I'm putting you through, I'm sorry for all the stupid arguments we've been having and I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was way out of line." Gabriella apologized with remorse in her eyes. Troy smiled weakly as he ran a hand over her hair.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sorry too; I shouldn't have exploded like that. So it looks like we're both even with the apologies." Troy said with a faint smile. Gabriella smiled in return and she closed her eyes as she rested her head back on the tub.

"I just want this all to be over. I want our children to grow up and not remember this nightmare. I don't want them to be afraid of the world after this. I just hate that they were exposed to this side of the world at such a young age." Gabriella sadly stated.

"Hey, don't talk like that okay? We're going to help them get through this the best we can. I love them both and I will fight anything as their father. And I love you; and I always will love you." Troy vowed. Gabriella smiled lovingly at Troy.

"I love you too." Gabriella whispered. Troy beamed as he cupped Gabriella's cheek into his hand and he placed a kiss on her lips. Gabriella smiled against his lips until they parted.

"Now…how about you drain the tub while I go and get ready for bed?" Troy suggested. Gabriella smiled vividly as she nodded her head and Troy then left the bathroom and he stripped down to his boxers while Gabriella got ready in the bathroom. Minutes later, she came into the bedroom, wearing her maternity pajamas and her hair hung down her shoulders. Troy rested down on their bed and Gabriella crawled in beside him and she rested her head on his chest while he wrapped both his arms around her. He pressed a kiss against her forehead and inhaled her sweet scent.

"You know that we're going to get through all this right? We're going to get through this together, if it's the last thing I do." Troy promised Gabriella as he placed a hand on her swollen stomach. Gabriella smiled weakly as she nodded her head against Troy's chest.

"I know we will…I love you. That will never change." Gabriella stated as she placed a kiss on Troy's shoulder. Troy smiled as he quickly captured Gabriella's lips into a loving kiss.

"I love you as well, darling." Troy said as he began to sit up. And as quick as the speed of light, Troy kissed Gabriella's pregnant belly.

"And I love this little baby as well." Troy said as he rested back down. Gabriella kissed Troy once more before resting her head down on Troy's shoulder and she closed her eyes. And within minutes, Gabriella was fast asleep. Troy watched her as she slept and he ran a hand through her raven hair and he smiled to himself when she snuggled closer into him.

He knew that they would get by together, but he had to have the strength to protect his family; he would have to work out and gain his strength. He knew that this would not be the last time he would see Victor.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Read and review please!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	12. Confessions

**Confessions**

**Author's Note:**** Howdy! So I am so thrilled right now because I am going to see Nickelback in concert on Monday night and I am so happy that I decided I would present the newest chapter of my story…I have most of the future chapters done so this story should be done within a month and a half. So review while you can!**

**Chapter Summary: ****A week has passed since Victor's home invasion and Troy and Gabriella have been staying home since the attack. A surprise visitor comes to the house and has very shocking news, which requires that Troy and Gabriella leave as soon as possible. But will something as simple as that be so easy?**

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_For what I've done  
I start again  
And whatever pain may come  
Today this ends  
I'm forgiving what I've done_

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done_

_- Linkin Park 'What I've Done'_

_--_

A week had passed since the attack and Troy and Gabriella maintained a low profile from the media. The media went into frenzy when they heard about the attack and Troy and Gabriella's phone rang nonstop from the press. Thankfully, they police hired to watch over Victor and they kept Victor in their jail and the media attention eventually died down. When Troy told the police about Victor's true identity, police took the case a lot more seriously and kept a watchful eye on Victor now that he was in custody. Troy got a little bit more sleep with that reassurance but he was still wary of Victor. No matter how much security he had there to protect him, he would always fear that Victor would find a way to get to him and his family. He began working out to remain in top physical form and he kept an eye out for Victor.

Troy awoke earlier than usual; he awoke at quarter to seven in the morning. The police officer wouldn't be coming for another forty-five minutes. Despite waking earlier than usual, Troy didn't feel tired; he felt fully awake. He looked over at Gabriella who serenely slept as her chest slowly rose and fell within in each breathe she took. Troy smiled as he turned on his left side and he placed a hand on Gabriella's abdomen and he placed a soft kiss on the side of her stomach, causing her to stir. Her eyes slowly opened and it wasn't long until her chocolate colored eyes were staring into his ocean blue ones. A smile crept across Gabriella's face as she felt Troy's hand run up and down her stomach. She felt the baby moving as if to say 'hi I'm in here!'

"Good morning beautiful." Troy said as he pecked her lips quickly.

"Hey. What are you doing up so early?" Gabriella asked with fatigue still in her voice.

"I don't know. I just can't go back to sleep I guess." Troy said with no exhaustion in his voice. Gabriella nodded her head and the sudden sound of her stomach growling filled the room. Gabriella looked away in embarrassment while Troy giggled. The baby and Gabriella were definitely hungry.

"Well it seems that someone is hungry. I'll tell you what, how about I make you some breakfast and you and I just spend the day in bed? We haven't done that in a while and I kind of miss it." Troy suggested to Gabriella who stared at him as her hands rested on her pregnant stomach. She nodded her head with a soft smile and kissed Troy's cheek quickly.

"That sounds great Troy." Gabriella said. Troy nodded his head and he got up from their bed and he began to get dressed. He threw on a pair of dark jeans and he put a white t-shirt on and he threw a dark blue plaid shirt on top of that. As he began to walk out of the room once he was dressed, he suddenly heard Gabriella groan loudly in pain. He turned around quicker than he expected to.

"Are you okay?!" Troy asked with a great amount of concern in his voice. Gabriella stopped groaning in pain and she shut her eyes as she continued to rub her stomach gently with her hands.

"Yeah I'm fine; the baby is just kicking a little harder than usual." Gabriella insisted. Troy stared at her as she cringed from the painful kick. The baby was due in two weeks and the baby was obviously growing bigger within each week.

"Just rest here until I get back Gabriella." Troy told her as he turned to leave.

He stood in the kitchen and began to whistle as he poured hot coffee into a glass for both Gabriella and himself. After sipping his coffee, he went back to the eggs that were still cooking on the stove and he saw that they were done and he picked up the frying pan and he dropped the creamy yellow colored eggs onto a plate. The toast popped from the toaster and Troy was in the middle of spreading the butter over the small piece of toast. And, knowing how violent Gabriella's cravings for them were, Troy put a handful of black olives into a small glass bowl. He put the food onto a tray and he then picked up a daisy from their vase and he placed it on the tray. Gabriella's breakfast was ready now. He was prepared to go upstairs and feed Gabriella.

But then there was a sudden knock at the door.

Troy froze in his steps. Who was at the door? It may have been Victor; he might've escaped from the police station. He may have returned to finish what he started. Troy left the tray of food on the kitchen counter and he slowly walked to the front door and he was very hesitant about who was at the door. It may not have been Victor. It may have been the mailman with a package. It may have been his mom and dad coming to check up on them. Or maybe it was just a neighbor coming over to borrow the lawnmower. He didn't know. Troy picked up his baseball bat as he slowly began to open the door, fearing who it may be. And he gasped at who he saw. It was Philip; he was alive and alright. Troy sighed in relief as he dropped the bat to his side.

"Phil! Oh god, thank god you're alright." Troy said with a sigh of relief. Troy couldn't help but notice the panic and fear in Philip's eyes as he bolted into the house and he shut the door behind him. He turned to Troy with pure fear in his eyes.

"Troy, you have to get out of here. You aren't safe anymore." Philip warned with fear and caution in his eyes. Troy blinked in uneasy surprise. Victor was now in the hands of police…how could he not be safe anymore?

"Phil, what are you talking about? Who is out to get me now? Victor is in jail." Troy stated, trying to make sure that this wasn't some kind of joke. Phil wiped his hands on his black vest and he sighed as he looked into Troy's eyes.

"Troy…Troy I have a huge confession that I need to make." Philip informed Troy as his voice filled up with regret and anger towards himself. He did something; that much Troy knew. But what could Philip have done? Philip cringed whenever he saw a bug being squashed; he couldn't hurt anyone. But Troy knew that there were surprises held everyday.

"What confession?" Troy asked, afraid to know the answer. Philip sighed loudly as he ran his hands through his hair and he looked away from Troy. The shame he felt was obviously eating away at him since he could not even look Troy in the eye. For the longest time, Philip said nothing; he just stared at the floor in a pained silence. Troy became nervously impatient and longed for Philip to tell him what he did wrong.

"Tess and I have been helping Victor this whole time." Philip finally blurted out, still not looking Troy in the face. The news was like a sudden blow to the face for Troy. He and Gabriella trusted Philip and Tess and this whole time they betrayed them to Victor. They helped put Ethan in the hospital. They helped Victor when he wanted to take Gabriella away from Troy. They helped hurt them. Troy felt the room spinning. He couldn't imagine Tess and Philip doing this to them. How could they even do this? How could they betray their own friends?

"Why did you do this?" Troy asked, his voice going just above a whisper. Philip sighed as he walked towards the living room of the house.

"It all happened about last year when Tess and I were trying to open up our restaurant. We were having financial problems. We both didn't have enough money to start the restaurant and we also had to pay for our apartment and make plans for our wedding. We both didn't want to close off the deal for this restaurant; it has been our dream to own a restaurant together. And then one day, Victor comes up out of the blue claiming to be a lawyer for one of Tess' long lost uncle's and he said he died and he left Tess millions of dollars. We were both thrilled about the money left to her and we took it and used it to start the restaurant. He was always coming around at first and then he just disappeared for a while." Philip explained quickly taking a pause. Troy's eyes were staring down at Philip as he looked over at Troy.

"Then what happened?" Troy asked, trying to fight his anger. Philip sighed once more as he started to tell the rest of his story.

"But then about four months before your stalking started, he came up again and he claimed that he wasn't a lawyer and the money he gave us was from somewhere illegal and Tess and I could've gone to jail. Tess and I were freaking out and we began to panic. Victor then said that we wouldn't go to jail as long as we helped him exterminate something. It was you and Ethan. He said that if we helped him get rid of you and Ethan so he could have Gabriella, we wouldn't go to jail. I tried to talk myself out of this. I really did. You are the family I never was fortunate enough to have. But Tess talked me into it. She said whatever had to be done would be done and we should think about ourselves." Philip confessed, blinking back tears of guilt.

"But I thought you were abducted by Victor." Troy said, confused and unsure of how this story would fit into place.

"I went to see Ethan at the hospital. I saw him for the first time in months since the accident…and I cried when I saw him. He looked so small and fragile when I saw him hooked to all those tubes and all those monitors. I still remember those days when he would be running around my backyard like a maniac. The guilt of what I've done to him took over me. I went to visit Victor at his hideout and I told him I was going to turn everyone in. He argued angrily with me and told me that he would let me flee if I did one last thing for him. I had to pretend I was kidnapped by him so he could get your cell number, I had to cut myself all over that picture of Gabriella and then when I dressed in that clown suit to drop it off I fled out of here. But I came back about a week ago; I was the one who left that information about Victor on Chad's doorsteps." Philip told Troy who stared down at him angrily with fire coming out. Troy couldn't contain himself anymore and he punched Philip square in the face.

"Why the hell did you come back?!" Troy hissed through his teeth, hoping to not raise his voice and concern Gabriella. Philip moaned in pain but he looked over at Troy, still cringing from the pain.

"You really pissed Victor off this time. He wants you all to have a nice slow death. Tess sent me a text telling me the plan. He's going to come tonight when you are all asleep and he will kill every single one of you." Philip warned Troy. Through the anger and rage, Troy raised both his eyebrows in utter confusion.

"But I thought he was in jail. I talked to the police, he's in custody now." Troy informed Philip. Philip shook his head slowly as he walked towards Troy.

"The two police officers that you talked to…Charles Simms and Frank Jones, right? They both work for Victor as well. Victor used the same tricks on them like he did to Tess and me." Philip informed Troy. Troy groaned loudly as he ran his hands through his hair. This couldn't be happening; this could not be happening to him. He looked back at Philip who just stared at him with blank and bleak eyes.

"Why are you even here? Why aren't you there with Tess getting Victor out of prison so he can kill us?" Troy asked harshly, spitting out each and every word. Philip shook his head as he marched over to Troy and placed both his hands on Troy's shoulders.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! I'm here so I can get you guys the hell out of here! I have a small summer cottage up north that victor doesn't know about. You and Gabriella are going to go there and stay there until I fix this Victor problem once and for all. I will make sure that Ethan is safe and taken care of and I will do anything you need me to do. I just need you both to leave right now!" Philip demanded, panic in his eyes.

"How do I know that this isn't a sleazy trap?" Troy demanded. Philip shook his head.

"It isn't. Look into my eyes and tell me if I am sending you into a trap." Philip said, his eyes solemn and dark. Troy just stared at Philip, unsure of how to react to this news. Philip betrayed him all these months. He _and _Tess betrayed them. He couldn't understand how two good friends of his since high school could do such a preposterous thing to him and his family.

"This heroic act of yours isn't going to change anything. This isn't going to change the fact that you damaged a friendship as powerful as ours just so you could have money and success. It will never change anything." Troy sternly told Philip as his blue eyes turned two shades of blue. His eyes looked almost cold. Philip bit his lip and he slowly nodded his head.

"I regret throwing something as precious as that away. I was a fool for taking our friendship for granted when I took that money. But we can't focus on me right now; we have to tell Gabriella the new plan and we have to get you both out of LA." Philip stated once more. Troy slowly nodded his head and he backed away from Philip, needing his space away from Philip.

The two awkwardly walked up the stairs together, both not breathing a word to each other. They had nothing left to say to one another and found that they had nothing left to talk about. But Philip was the last person on Troy's mind. He was wondering how he was going to explain all this to Gabriella. She was going to be a wreck. Troy knew that Gabriella was going to be hurt to know that all this time Tess was trying to help her; she was really trying to hurt her. And she would be devastated to know that Philip really wanted to help Victor kill Ethan all those times he said he wanted to have Ethan over to play. He didn't know how he was going to tell her this.

But then there was a sudden scream from their bedroom.

Troy and Philip exchanged terrified glances with one another before they bolted up the last few steps and aimed for Troy and Gabriella's bedroom. In the back of Troy's mind, Troy prayed to the lord that Gabriella was not attacked by Victor. He prayed that he wouldn't walk in to see Victor standing over his dead pregnant wife. Troy was kick to throw the door open and he gasped at what he saw. He saw Gabriella on the floor, writhing in pain. And underneath her pink and red pajamas, he saw that she was drenched. Her water had just broke…two weeks early.

"Troy! Troy, oh God, the baby is coming!" Gabriella hollered to him in pain. Troy ran to her side and tried to soothe her.

"The baby is two weeks early! Oh god, we have to get you to the hospital. Philip, can you help me carry her to the car?" Troy asked as Gabriella threw one arm around Troy's neck. Philip quickly ran over and he bent down and put Gabriella's other arm around his neck. Both men grabbed a leg from Gabriella and they picked her up and they cautiously carried her down the stairs. Gabriella yelped each time a contraction hit her and she gripped onto Troy's shoulder tighter each time. Kicking the front door open and then closing it swiftly, Troy and Philip raced to Troy's car and they opened it and swiftly put Gabriella into the back of the car, allowing her to lift her legs onto the seat. Troy closed her door before he turned to Philip and he stared at him.

"I should go now." Troy said as he turned to get in the car himself. Philip grabbed his arm and made Troy look at him quickly.

"I'm sorry. I really am. And I will not stop until Victor is gone." Philip swore to Troy. Troy just stared at him and he nodded briefly before he got in his car and drove off. He could only believe a lie for so long.

"You okay baby?" Troy asked as he looked back at Gabriella who was silently crying as each contraction hit her. Gabriella bit back a potential scream and she nodded her head quickly.

"I'm fine…what did Phil want?" Gabriella asked. Troy groaned quietly to himself at the mere mention of Philip's name. That name made him sick to his stomach.

"Just came to say hi." Troy lied.

He would tell her the truth later.

For now…he had to be there for the birth of his second child.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Well I know how you all LOVE your cliffhangers, so I put this one in! But we all know how to cure cliffhangers right? REVIEWS! Read and review and I will update!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	13. Perfect Only For A Moment

**Perfect Only For a Moment**

**Author's Note: ****Hey everyone. So I'm quite enjoying the reviews and you are all making my day so nice! So keep up the good work and I will continue to update for you guys. **

**Dedications: ****I would like to dedicate this chapter to Sharon Tate. She was my favorite actress from the mid-sixties. When she was eight and a half months pregnant, she was murdered by Charles Manson and his cult members. It breaks my heart to know that she never got to experience the joy that will be shown in this chapter and I wish to dedicate this to her. Wikipedia her if you do not know her. Rest in Peace Sharon (1943-1969)**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy and Gabriella welcome their second child into the world. As happy as they are to have had this child, Troy can't help but feel sad that Ethan is still comatose and he can't meet his new sibling. But will tears of joy be shed twice in one day?**

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_Cause without you,  
How did I get through,  
All of my days,  
without you?  
Now living with you,  
See everything's true,  
my baby, it's you.  
My baby.  
My baby,  
my baby._

_- Britney Spears 'My Baby'_

_--_

"PUSH!" Doctor Henry hollered loudly to Gabriella. Taking a deep breath, Gabriella pushed and squeezed Troy's hand as the pain continued to take over her whole body. She had been in the hospital for a whole twenty-four hours before she was fully dilated. She had only gotten epidural twelve hours after her water broke. How she made it through, she would never know. Thankfully no paparazzi were after them yet; Troy signed Gabriella under the name 'Cindy Martin' so no one would hear about the birth of their baby yet. Gabriella stopped pushing so she could breathe and she felt Troy's hand wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"C'mon Gabby, you're doing great; just keep pushing!" Troy encouraged, trying to keep Gabriella strong. Gabriella bit her lip once more as she pushed once more, feeling a small head slide out of her.

"You're doing great Mrs. Bolton. Now Troy, I need you to count to ten backwards as Gabriella does this last final push." Doctor Henry instructed. Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand tighter as she took a deep breath and she began to push, listening to the sounds of Troy's voice counting.

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…0!" Troy said loudly in Gabriella's ear, being interrupted by the vociferous sounds of Gabriella's first earsplitting scream.

And then a faint baby's cry was heard.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bolton…you had a girl. She is four pounds and three ounces." Doctor Henry informed them as he held up their baby. Troy quickly kissed Gabriella's lips before he cut the umbilical cord. Doctor Henry rushed the little girl off so he could quickly clean her off and wrap her in a blanket. As the doctors cleaned the little girl up, Troy could hear the little girl screaming and crying loudly. Troy was getting mad. He knew the doctors were doing their job, but they were making his little girl cry and he wanted to stop it. When she was wrapped in a yellow blanket, Doctor Henry placed the crying baby in her father's arms before leaving the room, giving the couple some privacy before he would come back in and give Vienna all her shots. Troy was quick to snuggle her up close against his chest and he stared down at her.

And then a miraculous thing happened; she stopped crying and she immediately opened her small eyes, staring up at her father. And then a smile erupted on her face as she looked into her father's eyes. This is when Troy Bolton begins to cry. His little baby girl looked like her mother; the same exotic hair and tan, but she had her father's sapphire blue eyes. She was absolutely beautiful; he couldn't find the words to describe it. With tears falling from his eyes and a proud fatherly smile on his face, Troy placed a kiss on his daughter's downy cheek. Her cheek was soft and smelled good. This was his first daughter; his little pride and joy.

"Hi baby…I'm your daddy. I'm going to take care of you I promise okay? I love you so much already." Troy cooed to his daughter who just stared into his eyes. She smiled as she lifted a small little hand and reached for Troy's face. He moved his face in closer for her and she began to pat his face. She already had him wrapped around her tiny little finger.

"Troy, bring her to me." Gabriella demanded, still panting from giving birth and tears of joy slipping down her cheeks. Troy did as he was told and he gently placed their daughter in Gabriella's waiting arms. Tears stained Gabriella's cheeks as she looked down at her daughter and saw how much she looked like her. She placed several kisses over her daughter's face and cheeks as an overwhelming happiness took over her.

"Hello little one! Oh I love you so much, my precious little girl. You're my sunshine, you beautiful little girl!" Gabriella cried as she held the girl close to her chest. Within minutes, her daughter curled up against her and she fell asleep on her mother's chest. Gabriella and Troy smiled down at the little baby girl and allowed more tears to fall from their eyes. Gabriella tearfully looked up at her husband, with tears and love filling both their eyes.

"Thank you." Gabriella whispered as tears continued to fall from her brown eyes. Troy smiled through his tears as he lifted a hand and he caressed her cheek, gently wiping away her warm tears. He then quickly brought himself down for a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love you." Troy whispered back to her as he stroked her cheek once more before he crawled up on the bed and rested down beside his wife and new daughter. Gabriella gently placed her sleeping baby girl in her father's arms and watched as Troy let his fatherly pride show through. He gently stroked the little girl's head and he let his fingers smoothly caress her downy cheeks. Troy was quick to lavish her in kisses and hugs. He always said if he had a girl, he would spoil her rotten.

"What are we going to name her?" Troy asked as he looked over at Gabriella. Gabriella stared at Troy and the baby for the longest time before she placed a hand on the baby's back. Finally, her eyes met with Troy's. Her eyes twinkled and glowed as she looked into Troy's eyes. She obviously had the name picked out for months in advanced.

"Vienna Soleil Bolton." Gabriella confidently told Troy. Troy pondered at the name and he smiled when he thought of how beautiful it was.

"That's a beautiful name. You have that name picked out for a while?" Troy asked as he continued to run his hand up and down the baby's back. Gabriella nodded her head with a smile.

"In Latin, Vienna means white and in French Soleil means sun. White is the brightest color I know and she is my little sunshine." Gabriella explained as she ran the backside of her hand against Vienna's soft head. Troy smile and he placed a lingering kiss on Vienna's forehead.

"Then that's what we shall call her…Vienna Soleil Bolton." Troy said as he held his daughter closer to his chest. Gabriella smiled when she saw how powerful the father and daughter bond was already. She knew it was sacred and vital in her child's life.

"Troy…I think your parents are out in the hallway waiting to meet Vienna. How about you give her to me and you go and get your parents in here to meet their new grandchild?" Gabriella insisted as she took Vienna from Troy and she held her close to her chest.

"Someone's hogging the baby already. I'll be back in a few minutes." Troy told her before he placed a kiss on his wife's forehead. Before Troy could run out, Gabriella called him once more.

"Troy wait! I want you to finally have this." Gabriella said as her free arm grabbed a pair of purple keys and she handed them to Troy. They were keys to Vienna's room; the room Gabriella hid from Troy since she found she was having a girl. Troy smiled.

"Thanks Gabs." Troy thanked as he walked out into the hallway of the hospital and he made his way down to the waiting room where he found his mother and father sitting in the light green chairs, waiting to hear the news. When the Bolton's saw their son, they quickly got up from their chairs and they rushed over to him, no longer wanting to wait to hear the news about their new grandchild.

"What did Gabriella have?" Lucille asked as she rushed over to Troy's side. Troy smiled ecstatically when he thought of his newborn daughter. He had a daughter…he couldn't even believe it.

"Gabriella and I had a beautiful little girl…her name is Vienna Soleil Bolton. She looks just like Gabriella but she has my eyes." Troy informed his parents with a proud fatherly smile on his face. Lucille and Jack sighed with delight and Lucille was quick to wrap her arms around Troy and Jack did as well. Lucille kissed her son's cheek before she let go of him.

"Congratulations Troy! I'm so proud of you." Lucille told Troy. Jack placed a hand on Troy's shoulder and he smiled proudly at Troy.

"I'm happy and proud of you son. Will your mother and I get to see our new granddaughter or are you and Gabriella going to harbor her away from us?" Jack asked with a wink and a smile. Troy quietly chuckled as he nodded his head and he gestured for his parents to follow him to Gabriella's hospital suite. As soon as they entered the room, they saw Gabriella holding Vienna and she was already cooing and playing with her. Vienna was smiling as she watched her mother entertain her. Her little hands could be seen reaching out to her mother.

"Oh Gabriella! She is absolutely beautiful!" Lucille exclaimed as she rushed over to Gabriella's bedside. Jack followed behind, in awe of the little girl.

"She looks just like Gabriella!" Jack said as he took Gabriella's other side of the bed. Gabriella smiled down at Vienna before she looked up at her in-laws with a smile.

"She has Troy's blue eyes. Would you like to hold her Jack?" Gabriella offered, holding Vienna out to him. Jack smiled shyly as he took hold of the little girl and held her close against his chest. She yawned and rested her head up against her grandfather's chest. Jack smiled down at his first granddaughter and he brushed a kiss across her forehead.

"Well aren't you a little cutie pie…you're a little sweetie." Jack said in a singsong voice as he handed Vienna over to Lucille who was already crying at the sight of her little granddaughter.

"She's beautiful. Her beauty makes roses look revolting." Lucille complimented as she placed several kisses on Vienna's small face. Lucille turned to Troy, who was standing near Gabriella's bed.

"You both made such a beautiful baby. You're both wonderful parents." Lucille told Troy with a promising smile. Troy smiled as he interlaced his hand with Gabriella's, his eyes never leaving Vienna's.

"Thank you." Was the only response he managed to say before his parents began to coo over their granddaughter and Gabriella was asking to hold Vienna again.

He needed to believe his mother; he needed to be a wonderful father.

--

Hours passed and Lucille and Jack had left the hospital, telling Troy and Gabriella to call them if they needed them. Doctors came in the room to check up on Gabriella and Vienna. When the checkups were done, the doctors took Vienna to the nursery so Gabriella could have some rest. Gabriella didn't want Vienna to be so far from her reach, but when Gabriella realized how heavy her eyes were, she didn't argue anymore and she soon fell asleep. Troy sat by her bedside and watched his wife sleep with a proud smile on his face. She gave birth to his second child. He couldn't imagine the pain that she would've had to go through in order to have a child, but he knew he loved her more for going through that pain. Troy stroked Gabriella's hair and he sighed to himself. He loved her; he really loved her. That would never seem to change. And he didn't want it to.

Troy got up from his chair and he placed a soft and gentle kiss on Gabriella's cheek before he left her room and he travelled down the hall. He stopped in front of the door he wanted to enter. He could already feel the sadness taking over him. He wasn't even in that room and he felt his heart breaking. Slowly turning the knob, Troy glided into the room and sighed at the sight he saw. Ethan looked the exact same. His hair maybe got a little bit longer but he was in the same condition as before. Troy slowly walked over to his bed and he pulled a chair up and he sat down. As he stared at Ethan, Troy's eyes felt suspiciously wet and his heart was beating harder than it normally did when he was in the room with Ethan. Fighting back his tears, Troy took hold of Ethan's hand.

"Hey there buddy…we haven't talked in a while. I'm sorry; daddy wanted to see you more often. I miss you everyday Ethan. I cry a lot when I see you like this. When I'm alone I think about you." Troy tearfully told Ethan, hoping that maybe he could hear him. But there was no response; just the sound of monitors beeping slowly. Troy sighed again and he let a few traitor tears fall from his eyes as he continued to stare at Ethan. He had to get this speech off his chest before he accomplished the task he originally came in to complete.

"Ethan…before you were born…life didn't mean anything to me. To me, life was just years that meant nothing. Life and its meaning meant nothing to me. But then the day you were born and were first placed in my arms…I cried harder than I ever did before. You changed my whole outlook on life and you were my purpose in life. I always promised myself that I would be there to see all your soccer games, your school plays, your graduation…I would be there to see everything. We are closer than anyone will ever know; heck, the first word you ever said was daddy. Even though you have your mother's brown eyes, you look almost identical to me. Everyone saw that you were my son; my reason for living life each day. I never loved a child more than I loved you. I'm grateful everyday that you're my son. Nothing would ever change that." Troy promised as silent traitor tears continued to fall from his eyes. He stared at Ethan and he choked on an abrupt sob that came out. This was the hard part.

"Ethan, you're not getting better. I keep praying but you aren't changing. From the day you were born, I promised myself that you would never get hurt and I would always do what's right for you…even if it seems like a wrong decision to make. Buddy…I can't keep watching you suffer like this. I have to let you go. I have to save you from this pain. I know that there was so much that we didn't get to do together and I am always going to be sorry and I will regret this for the rest of my life, but I want you to go to a place where you won't suffer anymore. It hurts your daddy to see you like…this. But I want you to do something for me once you get up there. I want you to make sure I don't do anything stupid and when I'm a big old man…I want to find you waiting for me. I want you to be the first person I see when I come to those pearly gates. I love you Ethan…I really do." Troy sobbed uncontrollably. He placed a kiss on Ethan's forehead and he rested his head down on the edge of Ethan's bed. He needed to clear his head before he would take his son's life away like this.

"Daddy, why are you crying?" A faint voice asked. Troy froze. He knew that voice from somewhere. He knew he did. He slowly lifted his head from the side of the bed and he gasped loudly at what he saw.

He could see brown eyes staring into his blue ones.

Ethan was awake; he was out of his coma.

Troy didn't know what else he could do, so Troy got onto the bed and he grabbed Ethan and held him against his chest and he was trembling. He never thought he would see Ethan's chocolate brown eyes ever again. Ethan cuddled up to his father, incoherent about where he was and what happened. Troy briefly let go of his son to call a doctor, hollering that Ethan was out of his coma and that he needed immediate assistance. Before Troy could even complete a single thought, Doctor Henry and a few of his nurses came rushing into the room to come and check on Ethan. This went on for ten minutes. The nurses then rushed out of the room and Doctor Henry walked up to Troy with a small smile on his face.

"It seems that Ethan is going to be fine. I can't explain it, but his body just suddenly responded. We do want to keep him here for a few days just to make sure that he is fully healed. You can stay with him, but try to make sure that he eats something." Henry told Troy before he left Troy alone with Ethan. Troy smiled to himself as he walked back in Ethan's room and saw him staring at a tray of food in front of him. Troy sat on the edge of his bed and he held his son's hand.

"You have to eat something buddy. Do it for your old dad. I really missed you; I was looking forward to playing basketball with you and having pirate adventures like the good old days." Troy told Ethan, emotion overwhelming him. Ethan grabbed the grilled cheese that was on his tray and he took a bite out of it and he smiled at his dad.

"I missed you too daddy. Why am I in the hospital?" Ethan asked. Troy's face grew solemn, but he wasn't going to lie to Ethan.

"We were in a car accident and you were asleep for many months. Your mother and I have been worried sick about you." Troy told Ethan as he gently ran a hand through Ethan's hair. Ethan put the remainder of his grilled cheese down on the tray and he stared at his father.

"Where's mommy?" Ethan asked. It suddenly occurred to Troy that Ethan never knew that Gabriella was pregnant. He didn't know he was a big brother to Vienna. Troy smiled as he moved in closer to Ethan so he could tell him the wonderful news.

"Mommy is here in the hospital. Mommy had a baby a few hours ago. You're a big brother now to a little sister. Her name is Vienna Soleil." Troy told Ethan, worried that he might not react so well to this sudden news. But he didn't want to keep any secrets from Ethan.

"Did she grow out of the garden like Uncle Chad said babies come from?" Ethan innocently asked. Troy chuckled as he placed a kiss on Ethan's forehead.

"Yeah she did…would you like to meet her?" Troy asked. Ethan stared at his father for several minutes before he nodded his head with a smile. Troy quickly left the room and went over to the nursery and he asked the nurse to get Vienna for him. The nurse quickly got Vienna and handed her over to Troy. Troy carried her down to Ethan's room and he gently placed the infant girl in Ethan's arms. Ethan looked down into Vienna's eyes and he smiled as he gently began to tickle her face.

"She's so pretty. She looks like mommy. Can she play basketball with us when she's older? Can she have pirate adventures with us soon?" Ethan asked excitedly as he held his baby sister closer to his chest. Troy's chest swelled with pride. Ethan was so comfortable being a doting big brother to Vienna. It seemed like he was preparing for this moment during his whole coma. Suddenly, an idea came to Troy.

"We'll have to wait until she's a little bit older. Do you want to go visit someone?" Troy asked with a mischievous smile on his face. Ethan returned the same impish smile as he nodded his head. Troy called the nurse to help Ethan get into his wheelchair while he held Vienna.

Once Ethan was in the wheelchair, the nurse began to push the wheelchair down the hall, Troy and Vienna following closely behind them. They all entered the hospital suite and Troy dismissed the nurse and she left. Troy moved down to the edge of the bed and he gently began to shake Gabriella awake. She moaned and stirred as he continued to shake her awake.

"Gabriella…Gabby, wake up. Three special people want to see you." Troy whispered to her. Gabriella moaned tiredly and she slowly began to open her eyes. She looked at Troy and Vienna in confusion, but she gasped loudly when she saw Ethan. He was there; he was really there. She wasn't going crazy. It didn't take long for the tears to fall from her eyes.

"Ethan! Oh god, Ethan you're awake! Oh come here baby! Come to mommy!" Gabriella pleaded as she extended her arms out to Ethan. While his other arm was holding Vienna, Troy used his other hand to help Ethan walk over to Gabriella bed and he swiftly lifted him up on the bed and Gabriella engulfed him into a hug, ignoring the tears that were falling from her eyes.

"Mommy…" Ethan's voice trailed before he too began to cry. Troy smiled as he and Vienna crawled up next to Gabriella and Ethan and they joined in on the loving and emotional hug. Troy looked over at his wife and he placed a tender kiss on her lips before he placed kisses on Ethan and Vienna's foreheads.

It was a perfect moment. And it would be perfect only for a moment.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Well Ethan is awake…Vienna Soleil made her debut in the story…will things get better? Read and review to find out!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	14. Threats and Promises

**Threats and Promises**

**Author's Note: ****Hey! How is everyone doing? So I am still stoked about seeing Nickelback in concert so this chapter is dedicated to them! Read and review!**

**Chapter Summary: ****It has been two days since Vienna was born and all of Troy and Gabriella's friends have come to meet the newest Bolton family member. But two unsuspected visitors also come and then a threat is made…and so are promises.**

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_Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

_- Nickelback 'Saving Me' _

_-- _

Troy stirred in his bed as the morning sun came in through the hospital suite window. Troy's eyes slowly opened and he smiled to see Gabriella still asleep. They had stayed in the hospital for two days while Ethan was recuperating. Ethan was doing well; he was already able to walk again and he was able to use the bathroom by himself. Ethan was already driving the nurses crazy by running out of his room to get to Gabriella's suite so he could see his parents and his baby sister. Troy and Gabriella were proud to see how much Ethan loved Vienna. Whenever Troy or Gabriella was holding Vienna, Ethan was always begging to hold her. And when he did, he would give her kisses, hugs and he would begin to tell her stories that would make her smile. And Ethan was the first person who ever got her to laugh.

Troy sat up from his bed and he smiled at Gabriella as she too began to waken. Her eyes opened slowly, revealing her chocolate brown eyes that Troy fell in love with. She smiled back at Troy as he got up from his own bed and he walked over to Gabriella's bed. He sat on the edge and he leaned over and kissed her right on the lips. Gabriella was taken aback by the sudden gesture but she didn't complain or mind; she loved the soft touch of Troy's lips against hers. When Troy's lips slowly released hers, he smiled down at her as he took hold of her hand. His thumb stroked her knuckles softly.

"Good morning beautiful." Troy soothingly said to her in a whisper. Gabriella smiled in return as she kissed Troy's hand.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Gabriella asked as she kept Troy's hand close to her. Troy smiled as he nodded his head.

"It was the best sleep I've ever had. How much longer do you want to stay here? We can go home whenever you want." Troy told Gabriella. Gabriella smiled as she nodded her head slowly.

"I'm ready to leave whenever our kids feel that they are ready. If Ethan wants to stay and try to get comfortable being up and about again then we will stay." Gabriella insisted. Before Troy could say anything, there was a sudden knock at the door. Both Troy and Gabriella looked and they both chuckled to themselves when they saw who was at the door. It was a nurse…holding onto Ethan's hand. She had a soft smile on her face.

"Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Bolton but Ethan was up early today and he practically ran out of his room saying he needed to see you guys and Vienna." The nurse explained. Ethan quickly let go of the nurse's hand and he ran over to Troy and was instantly scooped into his father's arms. Troy smiled as he placed a kiss on Ethan's cheek.

"Thank you very much. Sorry I never got your name, what is it again?" Troy asked as he clutched Ethan closer to him. The nurse smiled sweetly and waved.

"I'm Ramona." She greeted with a smile. Troy smiled and nodded his head.

"It's nice to formerly meet you Ramona. We'll call you when we need you again." Troy told Ramona as she hurried off to leave the family alone. Troy walked back to Gabriella's bed, holding Ethan close to his chest. Gabriella smiled when the two leading men in her life sat down on the bed and she sat up so she could also hold Ethan with Troy.

"Hey baby. You're up early, you couldn't sleep?" Gabriella asked as she ran her hand through Ethan's shaggy hair. He would have to get a haircut; no exceptions. Ethan nodded his head as he looked at his mother.

"I'm tired of sleeping. I missed you and daddy. Where's Vie? I want to play with her today. I have a couple of funny jokes I want to tell her." Ethan said, looking deep into his mother's eyes. Gabriella and Troy's chest swelled with parental pride. They expected that Ethan would be volatile towards Vienna because he wasn't prepared to become a big brother so soon, but it seemed like Ethan had been waiting for this to happen. Troy smiled as he placed another kiss on Ethan's temple.

"She'll be awake soon; the doctors want her to sleep for another half hour. But guess who's coming to visit you? Uncle Chad, Uncle Ryan, Aunt Sharpay and Aunt Taylor!" Troy said in an enthusiastic voice. A smile immediately lit up on Ethan's little face.

"Yeah! When are they going to come?!" Ethan asked, excitement filling his eyes. Gabriella ran a hand down his back and had a soft smile.

"They're going to come in half an hour when your little sister is awake." Gabriella told Ethan with a soft voice and smile. Ethan nodded his head and he turned to his dad with an eager smile.

"Daddy, can we go to the gift shop and buy Vienna a little gift before she wakes up? I want her to have it when she's awake." Ethan informed his father, eagerness in his voice. Troy chuckled as he quickly got up from the bed and he gently picked up Ethan and he smiled down at him.

"Sure we can. Give mommy a kiss before you go." Troy told Ethan as he lowered him down to Gabriella so it would be easy for her to kiss her son's cheek. Ethan placed a kiss on his mother's cheek and she did the very same to Ethan.

"I love you mommy." Ethan told her as Troy pulled him away. Gabriella blew another kiss to Ethan which made him giggle.

"I love you too baby. Be good." Gabriella reminded him, going back into her motherly instincts now that Ethan was awake. Troy smiled as he captured his wife's lips with his own and quickly released hers.

"He always is. We won't be gone long." Troy assured Gabriella with a smile. He was exhausted, but that was the last thing on his mind when he had Ethan there in his arms. And he knew that he would have Vienna in his arms soon. Gabriella offered Troy and Ethan a soft smile before she nodded her head and she closed her eyes and turned on her side, getting a little bit more sleep before their friends would come to visit. Troy smiled at his resting wife before he carried Ethan out of the room, having his own conversation with Ethan as they walked down to the gift shop.

--

Tess adjusted her short white dress as she entered the hospital with Victor. Victor and she matched; he wore a white shirt with light blue jeans and flip-flops. People may have thought that they were dating and purposely planned for their outfits to look alike. But she wasn't; she never would. Victor came into her life when she was vulnerable. And because of that, she was now stuck in a cult that was costing the safety of her friends. Her heart belonged to Philip; she never loved anyone more than him. But now, he was no longer in LA and was now with someone else who wasn't going to pressure him into hurting his friends. She couldn't dwell for much longer, but she couldn't help but feel incomplete without him.

Victor kept his aviator sunglasses on as he roamed through the lobby with Tess and he leaned up against the wall while Tess stood awkwardly next to him. They were waiting for someone to come. They had another task that they had to do. And they would not be satisfied if they just left without attempting it. Tess looked at Victor as he looked back at her. She was beginning to consider rebelling against him and turn them all in. But that same attempt was made by Philip…and he left her. She didn't want to attempt anything else that would be considered stupid. Victor cleared his throat when he saw who he and Tess were looking for.

"There she is." Victor muttered to himself as he stomped over to her. She smiled wickedly, but her devilish smile was nothing compared to Tess'.

"Hey Victor. I thought you wouldn't show." Ramona said with an evil grin. Victor returned that evil grin and he placed a hand on Ramona's shoulder with inquiry in his eyes.

"We came as soon as you called. Did you find out what she had?" Victor asked. Ramona nodded her head with a sly smile.

"She had a baby girl named Vienna Soleil. And there's more; her son woke up. And Troy has been sleeping here since she checked in. We can't just go in there and take her away when Troy and all their security are there." Ramona said. Victor bit his lip in a deep thought as Tess pursed her lips. Tess' eyes wandered around the hospital and a sudden thought triggered through her mind.

"I have an idea. Give Victor a pen and some paper." Tess demanded from Ramona. Ramona listened immediately as she scurried over to the front desk and she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and she handed it to Victor. Victor took the items and he looked at Tess with confusion.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Victor demanded. Tess grinned as she moved in closer to Victor.

"Listen close and I'll tell you…"

--

Troy held on tight to Vienna as he watched Ethan playing peek-a-boo with his baby sister. Gabriella was in the middle of eating her breakfast and Troy didn't want to disturb her. Ethan had bought Vienna a small toy bear and Vienna was already playing with it. Troy also couldn't get over how well Ethan had recovered since he came out of his coma. He was fine talking, he walked with confidence and he had more energy now than he did before the accident. Troy was proud of him. Ethan was perfectly fine; he seemed to have been coping alright as well.

"Daddy, can I hold Vienna now?" Ethan asked as he sat on Troy's bed. Troy smiled as he placed Vienna in Ethan's arms. Ethan held his baby sister close to his small chest and he placed a kiss on her cheek as she stared into his brown eyes with her big blue ones.

"You're going to have to watch out for her when she gets older buddy. She's going to want you to stick around." Troy encouraged as Ethan began to rock Vienna back and forth, just like his mother showed him. Ethan nodded his head with a smile.

"I will. I promise." Ethan said with a soft smile. Troy smiled as he pressed a kiss on Ethan's temple before he got up from his bed and he went to Gabriella's bed and sat on the edge and watched as Ethan doted over his baby sister.

"You did good Gabriella. He has family values." Troy complimented as he took hold of Gabriella's hand. Gabriella looked up at her husband and she smiled lovingly.

"We both did good. I can only imagine what trouble they'll both get into as they get older…and I'm concerned already!" Gabriella joked with a smile. Troy chuckled as he leaned in and he captured Gabriella's lips with a kiss and held on for several moments.

"I love you." Troy abruptly told Gabriella. She was a little confused but she eased into a smile as she kissed his jawbone.

"I love you too Troy. I don't mean to spring this on you, but…something tells me that we're going to have another kid on the way in the future. It's just a feeling." Gabriella said with an embarrassed smile on her face. Troy smiled at his wife and he cupped her cheek into his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"I'll have fourteen kids…as long as you're their mother." Troy told her as his thumb continued to caress her cheek. Gabriella smiled as she allowed Troy to kiss her once more, not even sure if Ethan and Vienna were paying attention. As soon as their lips parted, there was a knock at the door. The couple looked and smiled vividly at who they saw. It was Ryan, Chad, Taylor and Sharpay. They all came to visit the new baby and a newly waken Ethan.

"Hey you guys!" Ryan enthusiastically said as he walked into the room and he hugged Troy and placed a friendly kiss on Gabriella's cheek.

"We need to see these marvelous kids of yours, Bolton." Chad said as he took Ryan's side.

"They would be right there." Troy said, pointing to Ethan holding little Vienna against his chest. Taylor and Sharpay quickly ran over.

"Ethan! Oh you're finally awake, we missed you buddy." Taylor exclaimed as she wrapped an arm around Ethan and pulled him close to her. He smiled at his Aunt Taylor and pointed down at Vienna.

"Look at my new little sister Aunt Taylor! Look at her Aunt Sharpay; she's so pretty! Her name is Vienna Soleil." Ethan said excitedly.

"Oh my God, she is so beautiful! She looks just like Gabriella." Sharpay said as she stroked a manicured finger down the baby girl's cheek. Chad and Ryan soon came over as well.

"Wow. She's pretty precious. She has Ethan's little nose." Ryan said, causing Ethan to blush and say a small thank you. Chad looked over at the proud parents and he smiled.

"Congrats guys; you deserve this." Chad proudly told them. Troy and Gabriella smiled proudly as they thanked Chad. Several moments passed and the friends all cooed over the new baby and the little boy they had thought they would lose forever. Sharpay then abruptly got up as she walked over to Gabriella who rested on the bed with Troy by her side.

"Oh Gabriella, I brought some clothes for you to change into. I left them in my car so I'll be right back okay?" Sharpay assured Gabriella. Gabriella smiled as she softly nodded her head.

"That sounds great. I owe you." Gabriella told her best friend.

Sharpay smiled as she walked out of the hospital suite and she walked down the halls and to the elevator. When she walked out of the elevator, she walked right out of the hospital and she ran to her car and she opened her car door. She grabbed the bag of Gabriella's clothes and she turned on her heels to go back to Gabriella's Hospital suite. But before she walked in, someone caught her eye. It was Tess walking out of the hospital. Sharpay, of course, didn't know about Tess and Philip's evil ploy to help Victor get Gabriella and she ran after Tess and she began to call her name several times.

"Tess! Tess! Hey Tess, wait!" Sharpay called as she caught up to Tess. Tess turned to face Sharpay and she forced a fake but believable smile on her face as she waved to Sharpay.

"Oh hey Sharpay. What are you doing here?" Tess asked casually, trying to act natural. Sharpay shrugged her shoulders and pointed back up at the hospital.

"I'm here visiting Gabriella and Troy. Have you seen their daughter yet? She is absolutely beautiful. And Ethan is awake too." Sharpay informed Tess with a vivacious smile. Tess smiled another phony smile, but there was some realness. She wanted to meet that little baby and see Ethan again, but she knew that she would get hurt if she did. Victor would punish her if she went to see them for a split second. But she couldn't tell Sharpay; it was dangerous.

"No I haven't had a chance." Tess said. Sharpay nodded her head and she then saw that Tess' arm was wrapped in gauze and light red blood was beginning to soak through.

"Oh my god Tess, are you okay?! Your arm is bleeding!" Sharpay cried out loud. Tess looked at her wrapped arm and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm fine; just had a bad encounter with a sharp object. I'll talk to you later." Tess chirped as she turned and walked away. Sharpay raised her eyebrows as she walked back into the hospital. Tess sure was acting weird. Sharpay decided to let it go as she walked down the hall to go to Gabriella's suite. But then she heard Ramona calling her name.

"Sharpay Evans! Hi, could you give this letter to Troy when you go back in there? I'm supposed to give this to him." Ramona said, her voice going dangerously low. Sharpay hesitantly took the letter and she thanked Ramona and watched as she walked away.

Sharpay looked at the letter in her hands and she felt something warm and gooey in the letter. Curiosity soon got the best of her and she slowly opened the envelope and she pulled out the letter. Sharpay nearly screamed when she saw that the warm gooey liquid she felt was blood. She opened the letter and she read a death threat sent to Troy. She almost had to scream but refrained herself as she ran back into Gabriella and Troy's suite and saw that they were all crowding around Gabriella and in their own conversation.

"Guys…can I talk to you all outside?" Sharpay demanded, feeling out of breath. They all looked at Sharpay in concern as they walked out of the room, leaving Gabriella alone with the kids. Ryan turned to his sister with concern in his eyes.

"Sis, are you okay?" Ryan asked. Sharpay shook her head as she handed Troy the bloody letter.

"I think you should read this." Sharpay urged. Troy took the bloody letter with suspicion and concern in his eyes. He unfolded the letter and he read the sloppy handwriting. He had seen that writing before; it was Victor's.

_**"Troy,**_

_**Cute little baby you had there…she looks just as beautiful as her mother. And I also heard that your son is awake now…good job. I would send my congratulations, but I am here to send a threat that even you can't put down. If you want your kids to live to see themselves go to college, give Gabriella to me as well as ten million dollars and never return to LA. If, however, you fail to do so…your kids and your wife die. And I can assure you…it won't be quick. You have until Friday to decide.**_

_**Victor." **_

Troy read the threat several times before he ripped the letter up and threw it in the trash. He demanded Sharpay to tell him where she got the letter and she told him that Ramona gave it to her and she also described the encounter with Tess and how her arm was cut and bloody. Troy tried to catch his breath as he told his friends about Philip's confession and how Tess and he were helping Victor. They were all shocked, but agreed that they had to search the building for Victor. Sharpay, Chad and Taylor ran down the hall to search for Victor and to inform the security about the threat and Ryan and Troy went to find Troy to demand that Ramona be held in police custody. They eventually bumped into Doctor Henry.

"Doctor Henry! One of your nurses helped the man who has been stalking my wife and I posted a threat towards us. Her name is Ramona I believe." Troy told Doctor Henry, almost breathlessly. Henry raised his eyebrows and looked at Troy and Ryan with disbelief.

"I'm not quite sure that may be possible because I do not have a nurse working here named Ramona." Henry informed Troy and Ryan. Ryan's eyes widened as he turned to Troy.

"Dude, she must've just come for the day to do Victor's work." Ryan exclaimed. Before Troy could even say anything, the sound of Taylor and Sharpay's screams interrupted his thoughts. It was coming from the stairwell. Henry, Troy and Ryan ran as fast as they could and they nearly screamed at what they saw. They saw Ramona…hanging from the ceiling. She hung herself. Chad had his arms around Taylor and Sharpay. Troy walked over to the railing and stared at the deceased girl and he saw a note tied to her. He reached out and grabbed it and he read it to himself.

_**"Long live Victor; he will take over."**_

--

Ryan, Sharpay, Chad and Taylor left after they talked to the police. It took just under two hours to get all of it done. Police swarmed the building, but Victor was not found. He escaped; that much Troy knew. After saying goodbye to his friends and shaking hands with all the police officers, Troy went back to his suite. He walked in and saw Ethan and Vienna both sleeping in Gabriella's arms as she hummed a lullaby to her sleeping children. Troy smiled proudly as he walked further into the room; Gabriella's maternal skills never seemed to fail her. Troy pulled up a chair and he sat beside her bed. Gabriella smiled weakly.

"Hi…are you okay?" Gabriella asked. Troy sighed as he shook his head.

"No…Victor left a threat. He said that if I don't give you to him and also give him ten million dollars…you and the kids are going to die. I have to stop him. This is all too much." Troy said, worry clear in his eyes and voice. Gabriella looked away from Troy and she looked down at her sleeping children that rested in her arms. She sighed abruptly.

"Troy I need you to promise something for me." Gabriella said. Troy nodded his head as he moved in closer to Gabriella.

"Anything." Troy swore. Gabriella looked over at Troy, a single tear streaming down her face.

"If you are ever put in a situation where you have to choose between the kids or me, please promise me that you'll pick the kids." Gabriella told Troy, with seriousness in her voice. Troy noticed and he immediately shook his head.

"Gabriella, don't ask me that! Victor is not going to get you or the kids!" Troy told her with fierceness in his voice. Gabriella sighed as she shook her head.

"Troy we have to be prepared for everything! If you choose me over our kids when you could've saved them, I will never forgive you Troy. Please Troy…you have to promise me." Gabriella pleaded. Troy stared at his stubborn wife and sighed. He wouldn't give in; not this time. But he knew that Gabriella would have a fit if he didn't promise. He moved in closer to Gabriella's bed and he extended a hand, gently caressing Gabriella's cheek with his thumb.

"I promise." He told her, both sincerity and falseness in his voice. Gabriella smiled weakly and she moved into Troy's gentle touch.

"Thank you." Gabriella gently whispered.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Victor was standing right outside their door, listening intently to their conversation. He smiled to himself, as he came up with a sick and sadistic plan.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Have a good March Break and review!**_


	15. Abduction

**Abduction**

**Author's Note: ****Hello everyone. I hope everyone's March Break was good because mine was awesome. So I'm just letting you guys know that if I do not get ten or more reviews for this chapter, I will not be updating. I didn't get many reviews on my last chapter and it kind of hurt me so I will not update unless I get a good amount of reviews. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

**Chapter Summary: ****The Bolton family left the hospital after the threat, but they stay in their cottage in a remote location. But will that mean they are safe from Victor's wrath?**

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_This city deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm gonna give it to them!_

_-The Joker 'The Dark Knight'_

_--_

"Okay Ethan, are you ready for this?" Troy asked his son as they walked into the front yard of their summer cottage. They left the hospital two days before, but Troy didn't think it would be safe for them to return to their LA home so they have been staying at their summer cottage, which was just outside of the city. This cottage was a second home to them; they always came here during the summer. As much as she thought of their safety, Gabriella wanted Vienna and Ethan to go back home so they could go back to their normal lives. But she knew that would only happen if they stopped Victor once and for all.

"I'm ready daddy." Ethan enthusiastically said as he jumped up and down. Troy smiled at Ethan as he picked up the basketball and dribbled it once.

"Then watch the master work." Troy joked with a wink as he dribbled it several times and then threw it into the net. Ethan clapped for his father and Troy turned to him and handed him the ball.

"Now you try buddy." Troy encouraged. Ethan felt the basketball in his hands and he stared at the ball for several minutes before he began to dribble the ball. He then picked up the ball and he threw it at the net, but it didn't go in the net. It hit the board and it bounced off, almost hitting Troy in the head. Ethan began to chuckle to himself.

"Sorry daddy!" Ethan said behind his contagious giggles. Troy giggled as well as he picked up the basketball and walked over to Ethan. He knelt down beside his son and he had an encouraging smile on his face.

"Its okay Ethan; we'll keep trying until we get it right. We have all the time in the world, bud. We can do this for as long as you want." Troy promised his son, with more sincerity than intended. Ethan smiled sweetly at his father and before Troy even knew it, Ethan wrapped his little arms around his father, pulling him in close to his little body.

"I love you daddy." Ethan whispered in his ear. Troy smiled proudly as he pulled Ethan in closer to him as well and placed a kiss on Ethan's cheek.

"I love you too Ethan." Troy told his son, feeling that if he didn't tell Ethan he did, he would be put back in a situation where he wouldn't get a chance to tell Ethan how much he meant to him.

--

Gabriella held Vienna as she watched her husband and son share a father and son moment and she smiled. She was proud to see what a great relationship they established. She was glad that they were making up for lost time since Ethan woke up from his coma. She looked down at the beautiful little girl in her arms and she kissed her cheek gently. Gabriella still wasn't able to get over how much Vienna looked like her; it was insane. But Gabriella knew that her daughter would grow up to have more beauty than her. She knew it.

Gabriella, still holding Vienna close to her, walked out of the cottage and walked towards the driveway where the two leading men in her life were playing basketball. Gabriella smiled as she saw Troy trying to explain the rules of basketball to Ethan and how the ball must always be dribbled. Leave it to Troy to always start talking about basketball to Ethan. When Troy saw Gabriella and Vienna at the corner of his eye, he turned to her and he smiled with a wave.

"Hey you two; come out to watch us play?" Troy asked with a wink as he placed a kiss down on his wife's lips. Gabriella unintentionally moaned as Troy released her lips from his own.

"Yeah we came out to see you two. Ethan, you're doing a great job. I was watching you from the window." Gabriella complimented her enthusiastic son. Ethan smiled as he began to jump up and down.

"Thank you mommy, I'm going to get better." Ethan promised his mother more than he told her. Troy smiled as he ran a hand through Ethan's hair and then he patted his head.

"You will and you're going to beat me. Now how about you go inside the cottage and get yourself a little snack to treat yourself." Troy told Ethan. Ethan nodded his head as he ran for the cottage door and he entered the cottage. Troy turned to his wife, who had a smiling baby girl nestled in her arms.

"How is my baby girl?" Troy cooed as he took his daughter from Gabriella's arms. Gabriella smiled as she watched Troy place a kiss on Vienna's downy cheek. She loved to watch Troy with her children.

"She loves you Troy. And so does Ethan. I do especially." Gabriella told Troy as she moved in closer to Troy and placed a kiss on Vienna's cheek before placing a gentle kiss on Troy's covered shoulder. Troy smiled at his wife before he kissed her forehead.

"I feel the same way. How have you been feeling? You don't look as tired as you did when Ethan was a baby." Troy said, not seeing any exhaustion in Gabriella's eyes. Gabriella smiled as she nodded her head.

"Vienna sleeps well through the night. She wakes up maybe once or twice at the most and then she goes back to sleep. She really is a good sleeper." Gabriella boasted of her daughter.

"That's always good." Troy murmured as he pulled Vienna in closer to him. Gabriella sighed as the silence went on. Something was on her mind.

"You know…Ethan keeps asking me why Phil and Tess haven't come to visit him or Vienna yet…and I just tell him that they're busy. I don't know how I'm going to tell him the truth when he's older. This is going to kill him. I just don't believe it; they were such loyal friends." Gabriella stated with a saddened sigh, knowing how close Ethan was to both Tess and Philip. Troy sighed as well as he looked into Gabriella's eyes.

"We can't tell him. I know that it's a huge blow for you to know the truth, but I couldn't hide it from you. You had a right to know. And as much as I wanted to lie and tell you that they are the same people we knew for years, I knew that you would be more hurt if I lied to you about their intentions. We'll tell Ethan one day when he's older. But for now…lets just leave him untainted." Troy suggested. Gabriella stared into Troy's sapphire eyes and she nodded her head with a weak smile. She wouldn't argue against that; it made the most sense.

Then suddenly, they heard a loud crash from inside the cottage. Gabriella and Troy did not hesitate to run into the cottage. Troy had to run a little more slowly since he was holding onto Vienna, but he was not far from Gabriella. In the back of Troy's mind, he prayed and hoped that Victor had not followed him to their cottage. When they entered the kitchen, Troy and Gabriella saw that several contents of the pantry were on the floor and Ethan stood there crying. Troy almost sighed in relief, despite the large mess.

"I'm sorry! I was trying to reach the muffins at the top of the shelf and everything else came and fell on top of me! I'm sorry, I really am." Ethan tearfully apologized. Gabriella smiled comfortingly as she walked over to her weeping son.

"Don't cry Ethan; it was an accident. It wasn't your fault. Come on, I'll help you clean up this mess." Gabriella assured her son as they both began to clean up the mess. Troy held Vienna and watched as Ethan and Gabriella began to clean up the mess and then he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With his free hand, Troy pulled out his phone and he answered it.

"Hello?" Troy answered casually.

"Hi Troy, its Wayne." Wayne answered. Troy hadn't heard from Wayne since he was shot and had to postpone filming.

"Hi Wayne, how are you feeling?" Troy asked with concern.

"I feel great. Doctors said that I can go back to work soon. The reason why I'm calling is because I would like to resort back to filming. Sharpay and Ryan are already on their way to my house to have a meeting and I would like you to come as well. And bring that little baby of yours; Ryan has not stopped talking about how beautiful she is." Wayne said cheerfully into the phone.

"I'll think about it. I'll call you when I know for sure." Troy said as he hung up his phone. Gabriella looked up at her husband and how inquiry in her eyes.

"Who was that?"

"That was Wayne. Doctors say that he's able to start filming again and he wants me to bring Vienna to a meeting with him now. I don't know if I should go. I don't want to leave you both here and I don't know if I want to expose Vienna to the world yet. I don't want to release pictures of Vienna until she's at least two months old." Troy stated, feeling protective of his baby girl. Gabriella sighed as she got up from the ground and she walked over to her husband.

"Troy, you should go. I know that you have wanted to work on this movie since you got the role and if you just hide Vienna from the cameras and strangers, she'll be fine. And Ethan and I are just going to stay here at the cottage. No one knows we're here. I and Ethan can spend some time together until you and Vienna come back. We'll be fine. Please go to this Troy; I know how much you hate not working." Gabriella insisted with a warm smile. Troy stared at his wife and sighed before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay…we won't be gone for more than an hour, love. I love you both." Troy said before he cautiously carried Vienna out of the cottage and they drove off in his car to Wayne's home for the meeting.

--

Tess and Phil hid in the bushes behind the summer cottage and watched as Troy's car left the driveway. Tess and Phil didn't get a clear sight of Vienna since Troy had her wrapped in a blanket but they saw a little bit of the little girl. They both had an idea that she was beautiful. It wouldn't surprise them. Her parents were beautiful and so was her brother; it wouldn't shock them. But they couldn't think about that now; they had to think about the mission that they were given.

Phil tried to leave LA without Tess or Victor finding out, but he was spotted by Victor's other followers. He did not get a punishment like he thought he would, but he was forced back into his cult to do more of Victor's sickening deeds. And he already didn't want to be a part of it all. Phil also resented being alone with Tess. He loved her, that was true, but he loved who he thought she was. She turned out to be a sick and evil woman who thought only of herself. She was not the woman he had proposed to anymore.

"Okay so Troy's finally gone. He probably went out to show off Vienna to someone, so he may be gone for an hour. We just have to charge in and do what Victor demanded that we do." Tess said as she put a grayish white cardigan over her black tank top. Phil rolled his eyes as he wiped his hands on his old brown leather jacket that was beginning to look beat up and damaged.

"Whatever." Phil murmured. Tess looked down at her fiancé and she placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at her. Her face was unreadable; he couldn't understand her expression.

"Phil…you left us. You betrayed our promise to Victor and to our business. You even betrayed me, Phil. You betrayed your fiancée. You should be glad that Victor took you back so willingly without a fit. So I suggest that you do what Victor says before I tell him to change his mind!" Tess hissed through her teeth, anger and frustration beginning to build up. Phil just stared at her, not saying a word. He could not believe her. She was a monster now. Phil just shook his head as he picked up his gun and he aimed it at the cottage.

"Let's get this over with then." Phil muttered. Tess pleasingly smiled as she took the lead and Phil followed behind her. They arrived at the backdoor of the cottage and they paused at the door, trying to catch their breath. Phil stared at Tess and when she swiftly nodded her head, he lifted his foot and he kicked the door open with a powerful force.

And then they were in.

They ignored the loud screams as they walked into the cottage with their guns in their hands and they heard the frantic panics and the loud stomping away in the kitchen. Tess grinned evilly as she walked towards the kitchen while Phil followed behind with regret and they entered the kitchen, the sight of a terrified Ethan hiding behind his equally terrified mother in clear view. Gabriella was clearly shaking and Ethan was trying his hardest not to make his crying too loud for them to hear. Phil bit his lip and he looked away from Gabriella and Ethan. He couldn't bear the sight. Tess' grin continued to grow and she chuckled to herself as she stared at a terrified Gabriella and Ethan.

"Hey Gabriella…long time…no see."

--

It had been an hour since the meeting with Wayne and Troy had Sharpay and Ryan in the car with him and Vienna. Ryan sat in the front with Troy while Sharpay sat in the back with Vienna and had fun playing with the little girl. Vienna seemed fascinated by the hot pink bracelet Sharpay was wearing rather than the toy bear Sharpay was handing her. They pulled into the driveway of the cottage and while Troy and Ryan got out, Sharpay carefully took the tiny little girl out of her car seat and she held her carefully as she left the car.

"Well that meeting was fun actually. This movie is going to be a box-office hit!" Ryan cheerfully exclaimed as he put his hands in the pocket of his pants.

"I agree brother. And at the premiere, I call this little duck as my red carpet date. She'll be the cutest date there." Sharpay cooed as she kissed the little girl. Troy chuckled at his two friends when something suddenly caught his eye. The front door of the cottage was wide open. Something was not right. Gabriella and Ethan would _never_ leave the front door open. Even if the did, they were never too far away from the door. Troy instantly ran to the cottage and he bolted into the cottage and he began to scream and call for his wife and son.

Troy ran into the kitchen and his eyes widened at the sight. It was a much bigger mess than it was before. The kitchen table and chairs were flipped over and broken. The windows had cracks in them and more contents from the pantry that weren't on the floor before were on the floor now. And Gabriella and Ethan were nowhere in sight. Victor got them. He abducted them. They were going to be held for ransom. For all he knew…they were gone. Forever. He shook those thoughts away as he heard Sharpay and Ryan gasp from behind him. He whipped around and struggled to fight back the tears as he handed them the keys to his car.

"I have to find Victor. Take Vienna back to my house and make sure that you don't answer the phone or answer the door. If it's me calling, I'll call once and then call back." Troy said in a hurry when he handed Ryan the keys. Ryan's eyes became solemn as he nodded his head slowly.

"Don't worry Troy; you'll find them." Ryan said, trying to sound encouraging. Sharpay offered Troy a smile as she pulled Vienna closer.

"We'll take care of Vienna. Troy, don't try to be strong in this okay? You are going to need us there to back you up." Sharpay told Troy. Troy didn't say a word; he only nodded his head as his eyes drifted away.

When he lifted his eyes again, he found that he was alone in the cottage once again. Troy soon found himself searching the cottage once again, just to make sure that Gabriella and Ethan weren't hidden somewhere but he found that he was still alone in the cottage. Troy had to call the cops. He had to report his wife and son as missing. The media was going to go crazy over this piece of news. They were going to be calling him all day and night. But he couldn't think about that. He had to call the cops. Troy's hand was reaching for the cottage phone, but he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket once again. Troy assumed that it was Sharpay or Ryan calling his cell and he answered it right away.

"Hello?" Troy asked, trying to keep himself from sounding frantic and frenzied. No one said anything on the other line; it was dead silent. But then there was a sudden dark chuckle.

"Looks like you're screwed this time Bolton." That dark familiar voice daunted into the phone. Troy struggled not to crush his phone, in fear of his family's wellbeing.

"Victor…" Troy hissed through his teeth.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Please do not kill me and please read and leave me ten or more reviews!!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	16. Breaking Down

**Breaking Down**

**Author's Note: ****Hey you guys! So I have decided to ignore the death threats from the previous chapter and I updated my preceding cliffhanger because I'm nice and I value my life! So review up please. Only four more chapters and then this story is done.**

**Chapter Summary: ****Victor has Gabriella and Ethan and he makes a sick and twisted deal with Troy. Troy can't take it anymore and he has a breakdown that he has been holding back for months. But somehow, Vienna saves him. And Gabriella has a scream off with Phil and Tess over their loyalty to Victor.**

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_So what if you can see  
The darker side of me  
No one will ever change this  
Animal I have become  
Help me believe  
It's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal_

_- Three Days Grace 'Animal I have become'_

_--_

"Hello?" Troy asked, trying to keep himself from sounding frantic and frenzied. No one said anything on the other line; it was dead silent. But then there was a sudden dark chuckle.

"Looks like you're screwed this time Bolton." That dark familiar voice daunted into the phone. Troy struggled not to crush his phone, in fear of his family's wellbeing.

"Victor…" Troy hissed through his teeth. Victor chuckled once more and left Troy waiting in suspense.

"I bet you miss your wife and your son. It's understandable of course, I mean, did you really expect that I would go as far as kidnapping them? Oh wait I forgot…you did. That's why you hid your family in that remote little cottage. Well, it was a smart move. I'll give you that Bolton. But you keep forgetting one thing…I know everything. I have people working for me that help me hunt you and your family down. Stupid Bolton. You're very stupid." Victor daunted into the phone, trying to belittle Troy. It was slowly starting to work. Troy's hands were beginning to shake and his breath was beginning to shorten.

"Where's my family?" Troy demanded, his voice sounding shaken and terrified.

"Oh you mean this family?" Victor quickly asked. Troy could hear the phone being jumbled and moved around. He suddenly heard heavy breathing and loud crying.

"Daddy? Daddy where are you?" A sobbing Ethan asked. Troy's heart broke immediately. It was shattered. His son was scared and held hostage. His son was crying in fear. And Troy couldn't do anything to help him.

"Buddy it's me. Ethan, you have to stay strong okay? Daddy is coming to get you soon. I'm going to find you and your mommy no matter what." Troy promised Ethan, his words shaking and shortening. Ethan continued to cry as the phone was being moved again.

"Troy, listen to me! Don't come looking for us. Please you're going to get hurt! If you are going to come, save Ethan but don't risk your life for me. Troy, you're going to get killed and I will never…" Gabriella began to plead but then she was cut off by Victor.

"Don't listen to your wife Bolton. We both know that you will actually come and save both of them, regardless of whether she tells you to or not. So I give you my word that I will not hurt them…at least until you come for them. I will call you back on Friday to give you a location and a time to save your son and your wife. So you better keep your phone charged…it may cost your family their lives." Victor concluded. And with that said, he hung up on Troy.

Troy stood in the kitchen for several minutes, trying to let this sudden news sink in. His family was kidnapped. He had to save them. But he had to wait until Friday to find out where they actually were. And it was Sunday. He had almost an entire week to wait. For all he knew, Victor was going to hurt Gabriella and Ethan. Victor was going to kill them. He wished it wasn't true, but he knew that he would. And he knew that Tess and Phil were in on this scheme as well. Troy let his body tremble and shake as the tears escaped his eyes. His knees began to turn to jelly and the room was beginning to spin around him.

It wasn't long until Troy began to throw the kitchenware around the kitchen in a fit of anger and frustration. He could care less if he was disturbing his neighbors with all the ruckus he was making, but he had to break down. He had been calm the past eight six months and he needed to break down. He had to let himself go. Troy soon began to scream and loudly howl as he collapsed to the floor and he stayed down amongst the rubble. Troy let the tears stain his cheeks as he looked at the mess around him. He had become an animal because of Victor. He was losing himself as well as his sanity. He had to leave and get home to Vienna.

He had to keep himself from becoming the animal that Victor wanted him to become.

--

Gabriella held Ethan closer to her body and she felt Ethan shaking and crying in her arms. Her ankle was chained to a pipe in a cold dark basement and she could not run away even if she tried. Tess and Phil stood at the other side of the room and just watched Gabriella and Ethan. Gabriella watched Victor with hatred in her eyes as he hung up the phone on Troy. She hated him. She never hated anyone until she met Victor. He was punishing her for being happy with her life. It was irrational but terrifying at the very same time. She could not do or say anything that could possibly put her family's life in jeopardy. Victor slowly began to turn to face Gabriella and her weeping son and he grinned evilly.

"You both better make yourselves comfortable; you're going to be here for a while. You'll be right here with me." Victor said as he slowly began to walk over to them and nearly laughed when Gabriella clutched a crying Ethan closer to her.

"What's the matter? Need some comfort from someone Gabriella? I offered it to you many times and you neglected it every single time. I gave you the opportunity to be happy and you just spat in my face. Now, your son is the one that is going to have to pay. Is that what you really wanted?" Victor asked in a hiss. Gabriella looked at Victor and she gave him a dark glare.

"Leave him out of this." Gabriella demanded. Victor said nothing. He stared down at them. The only sound filling the cold basement was Ethan's loud sobs. Victor's eyes soon filled with rage towards the young boy.

"Stop crying! Stop crying right now or I'll…" Victor hollered as he lifted his hand to slap Ethan. But he was stopped by Tess who ran over and grabbed his arm.

"Victor! That is enough. You said you weren't going to hurt them." Tess reminded Victor, the pity for her friend starting to reveal itself in its voice. Victor slowly put his hand down and he looked away.

"You both know what to do. I'll come back down in a day or two to check up on you guys." Victor said quickly as he left the basement and locked them all in the cold and dark room. Once Victor was gone, Gabriella soon began to wail louder than Ethan did. Tess and Phil looked at them and regret soon took over. They couldn't feel bad but they couldn't help it. They hated to see them like this.

"You traitors!" Gabriella scoffed loudly at Tess. Tess looked down at her feet and refused to meet Gabriella's eyes. She couldn't look at her when she knew that she was a sadistic follower.

"We're sorry…truly. But we have to listen to Victor. We have to take his orders. We're sorry…we had no choice." Tess monotonously apologized to Gabriella. Gabriella looked up at Tess and behind the tears, anger fired from her eyes.

"Why? You could've said no. You could help protect your friends. Victor has done nothing but cause you pain and fear. And notice how it all happened ever since you joined his little cult. You're only doing this because you're afraid of the end. But do you want to know what I'm really afraid of Tess? I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my son because of you. I'm afraid that my husband is going to die trying to save us and I'm afraid my daughter will have to grow up not knowing who her mother is. I'm not afraid about being killed; I'm afraid about the pain and fear that you have inflicted on my family. But I would never go as low as you two." Gabriella angrily hollered at Tess. Tess shook her head and she crossed her arms across her chest as she looked at Gabriella.

"You don't understand Gabriella. You had money handed to you from left to right. You get fifty-thousand dollars for doing one modeling shoot. Phil and I were never lucky to get that much money to make our dream happen! And if going to extremes means having to forget about who gets hurt in the crossfire, then I will not complain about it." Tess harshly informed Gabriella. Phil walked to Tess' side and put a hand on the small of her back.

"Tess…Gabriella is right. We didn't have to involve them like this. At least not the kids. We didn't have to turn into monsters. We were stupid and you know it." Phil told Tess. Tess twitched with anger as she slapped Phil right across the face.

"Don't say shit like that. You were just as involved in this as I am. Maybe if you didn't go and abandon us when we needed you, you and I wouldn't have to put our relationship in jeopardy." Tess argued. Phil shook his head as he placed a hand on her waist.

"Tess, I still love you but I don't want you to hurt them anymore. They have been my friends since high school. I can't just put this sadistic man before them." Phil explained. Tess didn't say anything, but then a sobbing Ethan lifted his head from the crook of his mother's neck and he looked at the arguing couple with teary and afraid eyes.

"Please let us go…please Phil. I just want to see my daddy and my sister. Please let my mommy and me go. Or even just let my mommy go. Please just stop." Ethan pleaded with tears falling from his eyes. Gabriella felt her heart shatter and she watched as sadness took over Tess and Phil. Ethan was willing to let Gabriella escape just so he knew that she was safe. He was much more of an adult than Tess and Phil were. Tess let her eyes moisten with tears and she looked away from Ethan.

"I wish we could Ethan…but we can't. I'm sorry." Phil sincerely apologized as she and Tess walked to the other side of the basement and sat down. Ethan looked back at his mother and he let more tears fall from his eyes.

"I'm sorry mommy…I tried. I really did try to get you out of here so you could see daddy and Vienna. But they just won't listen. I tried to get you out of here, I swear." Ethan said as she continued to cry. Gabriella gently hushed him as she lifted a hand and wiped away his tears with the pad of her thumb.

"Don't apologize Ethan. I wouldn't leave you even if they tried to stop me. I'm going to stay right here with you, whether they want me to or not." Gabriella swore to Ethan as her thumb soothingly caressed his sweet cheek. Through his thick tears, Ethan smiled weakly at his mother and he pulled her into a weak but still powerful hug. He sighed into her hair.

"I love you mommy." Ethan whispered into her ear. Gabriella smiled as she pulled him closer. Even then, at a time when she wasn't so sure that she would have strength, she believed that the love she felt for and from her son was able to give her strength.

"I love you too Ethan." Gabriella whispered back. And she meant it.

--

It was about nine thirty at night by the time Troy got back to his mansion in LA. He had just spent the whole afternoon with the police, going over what happened and their history of Victor's stalking. He was exhausted, starving and absolutely and utterly terrified. He couldn't function properly. He was amazed that he was still walking straight. He didn't bother to take his shoes off as he walked into his home and he walked up the stairs. He could hear Sharpay and Taylor cooing in Vienna's nursery. It suddenly occurred to Troy that he never saw Vienna's nursery before. Gabriella kept it hidden from him. He walked into the nursery and nearly gasped at what he saw.

Vienna's bedroom was princess themed. He had never seen so much pink in his whole life. Her closet full of clothes was shaped like a palace and there was a princess play table for her to play dolls with. But her crib was the most unique. Her crib was not the traditional crib. Her crib was in the shape of Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. The carriage had a little stairway for her to crawl and climb on. Vienna was the little princess of her kingdom. Gabriella did a great job. Troy saw Taylor holding onto Vienna as Sharpay tried to calm the crying baby down by showing her one of her toys, but Vienna just kept crying and howling. She was overtired it seemed. Sharpay looked over and almost sighed in relief when she saw Troy.

"Oh thank god you're here! She has been crying for half an hour. We tried giving her a bath, feeding her and we got her into her pajamas, but she won't stop crying." Sharpay exclaimed as she walked over to Troy and gave him a hug. He hugged her back and then released her as he walked over to hug Taylor before he took Vienna from her arms.

"I came as soon as Ryan texted me. He left about an hour ago." Taylor explained.

"Yeah he was lucky, he left just before all the screaming and crying started." Sharpay added as she ran a hand through her golden blonde hair. Troy smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He looked down at his daughter and saw that she was slowly beginning to calm down. She was even sucking on her blue pajama shirt.

"Did you have any luck?" Taylor asked, knowing that Troy was thinking about Gabriella and Ethan. Troy sighed as he slowly shook his head.

"No…they're looking but nothing's being found." Troy stated sadly. Sharpay ran a hand down Troy's back and offered a comforting smile.

"Gabriella is a strong woman. She would never go down without a fight. And I know that she's protecting Ethan. I just know she is." Sharpay assured Troy, hoping that it would comfort him somehow. Troy only smiled as if to thank her. Taylor looked down at the red watch on her wrist that matched her shirt and she looked back up at Troy.

"Sharpay and I should probably get going; I promised Chad I'd be home in half an hour and Sharpay has a photo shoot tomorrow that she can't be late for. Please call us if you need anything. We would be more than happy to help." Taylor informed Troy. Troy thanked them both as he gave them a side hug and he watched them leave the nursery. He sighed when he was all alone.

He looked down at Vienna and saw that she wasn't crying anymore. She was just staring at her father. Troy looked back into her sapphire blue eyes and he smiled his first real smile all day. She had his eyes. That he was always proud of. But he was proud that she looked more like Gabriella. She was going to be beautiful. She was going to leave people in awe. Troy sat on the little stairway to Vienna's crib and he kissed his daughter's soft cheek. She smelt like baby powder. She yawned with her little mouth, causing Troy to chuckle at her cuteness. He slowly lifted a hand and he began to caress his daughter's cheek.

"Hey Vienna…looks like it's just you and me…and your very pink nursery. You're daddy's little princess, that's why your nursery is set up like this. One day, you're going to grow up and then a prince charming will come along and you'll live happily ever after. But lets hope that'll be when you're at least forty. For right now, I want you to be my little princess. I don't want to see you grow up so fast. I want to keep you as a baby for as long as I can." Troy told Vienna in a sing-song voice, feeling like he never communicated with her like a real baby yet. Vienna stared at him and she let a smile grow across her face as her father's thumb continued to stroke her cheek. Troy sighed but kept smiling.

"Vienna Soleil…you really are my sunshine. And I know that you are to your mother and to your brother. We love you so much. We all do. Your brother can not imagine life without you. You were born at a time when your mother and I were afraid of losing everything but you were what kept this family together. And you have two grandparents who adore you; you have aunts and uncles who come over to play with you and Ethan now. You're a lucky little girl. But most importantly, you have two parents who would give their life for you. Vienna…I promise that…no matter what it takes…I'm going to get your mother and your brother back. I don't care if it kills me, I will get them back for you. And I also promise that…as long as I am living and breathing…no one is ever going to hurt you. No one is going to take you away from me. That's daddy's job right? To make sure that his baby girl is alright, to make sure that there is no boy's calling you up and to make sure that you're safe. That's my job. And Ethan will protect you as well. But I promise that I will look after both of you. No one will hurt either of you. I promise." Troy promised Vienna, as tears of love and sincerity streamed down his cheek while his thumb continued to caress Vienna's cheek.

Vienna stared at her father before she smiled. Soon after, she yawned and she began to cuddle into her father's chest. She was getting tired. Troy got up from the steps and he walked up them, gently placing the little girl into the crib. Troy placed the pale purple blanket over Vienna and he leaned over and gently kissed her. And within minutes, Vienna was asleep. Troy ran a hand over her soft head before he walked out of her nursery and he walked into his bedroom. He felt like he hadn't been there for days due to staying in the hospital and then going to the cottage right after. He hadn't been home since Phil came over to confess his faults. Troy sighed as he stripped down to his boxers and he turned the baby monitor on before he crawled into bed and wrapped himself up in the covers. He leaned over to turn the lamp off, when he took notice in his wedding picture. It was that moment he realized that he was married to Gabriella for five years. Five years he has been with her. Five years they loved a devoted themselves to one another. That was something special; something sacred.

With a saddened smile, Troy turned out the light and he soon fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day. But he wasn't going to break down.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Read and review for an update! This is almost done!!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	17. You're Ready

**You're Ready**

**Author's Note: ****Hey there. So there are only three more chapters and then this story will come to a finish. If you read and review now, this story will continue and you will find out if there will be a happy ending for Troy and Gabriella. So if you all took some time to review this story that would truly mean a lot to me.**

**Chapter Summary: ****While Troy has been waiting for Victor's call, he has been training and working out so he can prepare to take down Victor. When Troy realizes that he is ready to take on Victor, he gets the call that will change his life forever.**

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_Alright, so you think you're ready?  
Ok, then you say this with me  
Go!  
We were born for this  
we were born for this  
Alright, so you think you're ready?  
OK, then you say this with me  
Go!_

_- Paramore 'Born For This'_

_--_

Sweat began to pour down Troy's face and bare chest as he continued to run laps around the gym, ignoring the fact that his feet were beginning to wear out. It was Thursday; he would only have one day before he would hear from Victor again. He had to be in top physical form for when he would encounter Victor. He had to be strong enough to take Victor down and keep his family safe as well. That was why he tripled his workout routines. He had to push himself harder than he ever pushed himself. He knew it was unhealthy to go to extremes like that, but he had to do whatever it took to bring his family home again.

"Come on Troy, that's the last lap. It's time for the physical challenges!" Troy's trainer, Dwayne Nelson called to Troy. Troy gradually stopped running by the time he got over to Dwayne. He breathed heavily and tried to keep himself standing up straight without falling over. He wasn't tired yet; he was more overwhelmed with all the exercises that his body was doing.

"Good Bolton…now this sick human being that has your wife and son…he has other alliances with him?" Dwayne asked as he handed Troy his water bottle. Troy nodded as he sipped his water.

"He has four or five others in total. Two of them were former friends of mine and I don't know about the others. I only know that they are crazy." Troy informed Dwayne. Dwayne nodded his head as he circled around Troy once and then again.

"This is going to be tougher than you may imagine. You have to fight not one…but several lunatics. And they may not be as weak as you would like them to be. They could be stronger than you. But after I am done with you…you will have nothing to worry about. You're working with the best." Dwayne insisted. Troy nodded with an assured smile as he placed his water bottle down on the bench.

"What do I have to know?" Troy asked. Dwayne smiled pleasingly as he positioned himself in front of Troy.

"Despite the number of people this guy has with him…your goal is to reach him. You must kick and punch your way through the crowd like I have showed you before, but once you finally get to this man?" Dwayne challenged. Troy bit his lip in thought as he imagined the moment he would attack Victor and save his family.

"Attack and not let my guard down." Troy answered on impulse. Dwayne bit his lip and just stared at Troy, his expression unfathomable.

"That is what you do after…what you really have to do before…is focus your mind on his weak area. Focus on his weakness. Then you attack. You attack his weakness. Now pretend I am this man…and you are prepared to attack. Act as if this is the real thing. Act almost as if you can hear your wife and son screaming for you to help them. Start." Dwayne told Troy as he walked to the other side of the gym and he waited for Troy to attack.

Troy stared at Dwayne and he tried his hardest to concentrate on what Victor's weakness would be. He knew all his emotional weaknesses…but he couldn't think of any of his physical weaknesses. But then a sudden memory came to Troy; he suddenly remembered a physical weakness. He remembered Victor's past; his father abused him. Troy knew that Victor had his left leg broken by his father and he also knew that in most broken bone victims, a shard of bone was always found in the skin. He also then realized that Victor walked with a bit of a limp. His leg must've never fully healed. Troy got his weakness.

And then Troy ran. He ran towards Dwayne and he felt more alive than he ever did before. He could almost see Gabriella and Ethan running towards him to thank him and cry in love and ecstasy. As Troy charged at Dwayne, he lifted his arms and he took him down as he punched Dwayne's leg, which caught him off guard and he shoved him into the wall and then threw him to the ground. Troy felt strong and powerful. He could feel an adrenaline rush soaring through his veins. He looked down at Dwayne as he slowly rose from the ground. Troy shrugged his shoulders, as if he were impatiently waiting for a response from Dwayne.

"Well?" Troy urged with irritation. Dwayne looked Troy deep in the eye and he clamped a hand down on Troy's broad shoulder.

"You're ready. You are now prepared to take Victor down. You have passed all my training and you haven't failed me during this week." Dwayne told Troy. Troy stared into Dwayne's brown eyes and tried to find out if he really was ready. He wasn't sure. He couldn't tell.

"How do you know I won't screw up and get my family killed? How do you know that I won't let you down?" Troy challenged, his eyes not blinking once as he demanded some answers from Dwayne. Dwayne just stared at him in silence but his expression stayed blank and immeasurable. Finally, Dwayne nodded his head once more.

"I know because I trained you. And I saw how much you improved since you came to me asking for help. You got all the techniques down, you have great reflexes and you also have a great memory Troy. You won't screw up. Just remember to focus…and do not break that concentration. No matter what happens, do not break your concentration." Dwayne reminded Troy once more. Troy only stared into Dwayne's eyes and he nodded his head in understanding.

"Believe me; I won't." Troy promised Dwayne with pure sincerity in his voice. And Dwayne believed him.

--

The only sound Troy could hear in his home was the sound of Ryan and Chad cooing at Vienna, hoping that she was being entertained by her two uncles. The time was about ten o'clock at night and Vienna would fall asleep in ten minutes. He noticed her sleeping pattern, as a father should. Troy walked up into Vienna's princess nursery and he nearly laughed out loud when he saw Ryan and Chad both wearing a princes crown on their heads and wearing pink tutus, trying their hardest to make little Vienna laugh. But it was Troy they got the laugh from.

"That colour looks great with your complexion guys." Troy teased as he was leaning up against the doorsill. Chad and Ryan looked at Troy and had clear embarrassment on their faces. That was embarrassing.

"Vienna wanted to be a princess and we decided that we would amuse her. She needed some form of entertainment." Ryan said in his defense. Troy chuckled as he walked further into the nursery and he took Vienna from Ryan's arms and he held her close to his still bare chest. Vienna looked up at her father and she began to use her baby talk to her father. Troy giggled while he listened to her gibberish.

"I know Vienna; I get scared when I see them in dresses too." Troy cooed to Vienna as he placed her into her crib when she yawned tiredly. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Night princess. C'mon you two, lets let her sleep." Troy suggested as he gestured towards the door. Quickly slipping out of their tutus and crowns, they followed after Troy. Troy led them into his room and Ryan and Chad sat on his bed as they watched him change into his jeans and his striped blue shirt. When Troy's shirt was finally on, he turned to his friends and had an anxious stare in his eyes.

"He's supposed to call tomorrow. I don't know what I should say or what I should do when he tells me to meet him somewhere. I just don't know. I'm panicking when I really shouldn't. I have to be strong for Gabriella and Ethan but yet, I can't shake this feeling that I might screw up." Troy explained as he threw his gym shorts into the hamper. Chad sighed as he got up from the bed and went to his best friend's side.

"Troy its okay to be worried. This isn't something that's easy to overcome. Its not like you're dealing with a bad day and you can just cry once about it and then forget it. This is a Looney bin that abducted your family. You have a right to protect them." Chad assured his best friend. Troy just nodded his head in understanding.

"Thank Chad." Troy murmured. Ryan bit his lip as he looked at his best friend as well. He had to tell him something. Something he may not want to hear.

"Troy…we have to tell you something. The media is really making your life difficult right now and they don't mind it at all. They have been making major criticism about you because you haven't released a statement about Gabriella and Ethan. They're all saying that you're insensitive to the wellbeing of your family and you could care less about your wife being stalked and your son being abducted. Chad has been making all sorts of calls all day just trying to get them all to understand that you haven't been able to cope with it all. But they're all monsters." Ryan informed Troy. Troy rolled his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. Of course the media would be insensitive towards him in his time of vulnerability.

"They can think what they want. All I know is that my wife and son are being held captive and I have to save them. I don't have time for the media's crap. I don't need them to tell me that I'm not handling this properly." Troy ranted in frustration. Chad sighed a clapped a hand down on Troy's shoulder.

"That's not all their talking about. They are all curious why you haven't released a photo of Vienna. Every magazine in the country is fighting to get the first photos of Vienna and they are all getting frustrated and impatient that you haven't returned their calls. I have called a few of them but they are all like a pack of raveling wolves. Some of them are sympathetic about your situation but a few of them are just hungry for your money. I'm sorry man; you shouldn't have to go through this as well." Chad comforted Troy. Troy just sighed and shrugged his shoulders. It should've bothered him. It really should've. But he more important things to worry about; he had to worry about his family's safety.

"It's okay. They're all pests anyway." Troy insisted. His two friends nodded in understanding when the sound of Troy's phone ringing interrupted their thoughts. Troy walked over to his phone and he answered it nonchalantly.

"Hello?" Troy answered causally.

"You better not be doing anything right now. Your loving family needs you immediately Troy and I don't think they will be too happy that you're going to make them wait." A dark familiar voice told Troy. Troy almost froze with anger. Victor called a day earlier than he said he would.

"Victor." That was all Troy was able to say. He could've said more, but Troy couldn't think of anything else to say. He couldn't have a regular conversation with Victor; it wouldn't have felt right. Victor chuckled darkly on the other end of the phone when he heard Troy say his name.

"Well Troy…how badly do you want your family back? If you want to save them, then I suggest you come to the new scuba diving school and go to the new pool area. And you better come soon…I may decide to have fun without you." Victor said in a dark voice before he hung up in Troy. Troy hung up his phone as he turned to his friends with determination in his eyes.

"I have to go to that new scuba school and get Gabriella and Ethan. This is my chance to save them." Troy briefly said before he staggered towards the door. Chad quickly grabbed his friends shoulder and turned him around to look at him.

"Troy, we're going with you." Chad insisted. Troy shook his head rapidly.

"You're not coming. This is my battle. I need you both to look after Vienna and I can't risk you two getting hurt over this." Troy argued. Ryan shook his head as he got up from the bed and took Chad's side.

"Troy, you can't go alone. This is clearly just another trap that Victor wants to get you into. And we can call your parents to stay with Vienna. You can't do this alone. You need us to help you get Gabriella and Ethan back." Lucas persisted. For a short little while, Troy only stared at his friends. He was thinking everything through. Finally, Troy nodded his head.

"Alright, you guys can come. Ryan, you call my mom while Chad calls my dad." Troy commanded as he left his bedroom and headed straight for Vienna's nursery. Troy saw that she was fast asleep; she was barely even moving. Troy walked further into the room and he looked down at his daughter and he placed a hand on the top of her head. He stroked her head softly.

"Hey baby V…I know that you're asleep and you can't hear me but I really need to talk to you. Daddy is going to save mommy and Ethan. I'll try not to fail you, but if something goes wrong and I never see you again I just want you to know that…I love you. I love you so much Vienna. And you're mom will hopefully tell you how much I loved you as you get older. I just want you to know how much I love you in case this doesn't end well…but I'll try to come home safe for you. I love you with everything I have sunshine." Troy whispered to a sleeping Vienna, as he watched her small chest rise and fall with each breath she took. Troy leaned down into the nursery and he placed a kiss on her downy cheek.

Although it was a tender and sweet moment between him and Vienna, Troy allowed his eyes to moisten with salty tears.

--

Gabriella struggled to keep her eyes awake as she clutched Ethan close to her with her weak arms. She and Ethan had been trapped in that basement for several days and they felt sick and weak. They were both starving. Phil would try to sneak food to them whenever he could, but it was not very often. Gabriella always made sure that Ethan slept but she refused to fall asleep. She didn't want to fall asleep when Victor could easily come and violate her and Ethan. She wouldn't allow her son to get hurt. Even if that meant she would get hurt.

"Mommy, I'm cold." Ethan whispered as he clutched his white jacket closer to his small body. Gabriella nodded her head as she kissed Ethan's head.

"I know baby, just hold onto me." Gabriella urged her son, even though her voice was weak and feeble. She was cold because she was wearing a loose airy black shirt that had no sleeves and the fact that she was chained to a pipe didn't help her try to get warm.

Suddenly, two men entered the basement. Charles Simms and Frank Jones. They were the police officers that were working for Victor. Charles was about forty years old and he had dark chestnut colored hair and a bit of stubble. He had dark hazel eyes and tanned skin. Frank had pale white skin and had an oval shaped face. He shaved all his hair off and had dark brown eyes that were almost black. Gabriella held Ethan closer to her when she saw that they had the keys to the shackles that held her captive as well as rope, duct tape and sacs that were large enough to place a person in.

"We're going on a little adventure." Charles darkly said as he began to undo Gabriella's shackles. Gabriella trembled as her ankle was freed from the shackles.

"What are you doing to us?" Gabriella demanded. Frank smiled a dark smile as he knelt down to her eye level.

"You're going to see your husband." Frank concluded, before he placed a piece of duct tape over Gabriella's lips. Gabriella said nothing through her gag as she was being tied up and watched as Ethan was being tied up as well. When Ethan was tied up, a sac was soon put over Gabriella and Ethan and they were soon carried out.

As Gabriella felt herself sitting in a moving car, the only thought that went through Gabriella's mind was, _'Troy…please save Ethan'_.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Read and review for the next chapter! It's going to get intense!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	18. Sadistic Choice

**Sadistic Choice**

**Author's Note:**** Hey guys! So this is the climatic fight scene between Troy and Victor and if you wish to see how it all turns out, you have to read and review this. Hope you all enjoy it!**

**Chapter Summary: ****Troy arrives to the scuba diving school and he comes face to face with Victor. But this encounter has a sadistic choice…a choice that leaves Troy hanging in despair and terror.**

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_We are who we choose to be..._

_- Green Goblin 'Spiderman'_

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Troy's heart was pounding as he entered the scuba school with Chad and Lucas following behind him. This scuba school had the largest pool in the world. The pool itself consists of an underwater arrangement with flat platforms at various depth levels. The pool has two large flat-bottomed areas at depth levels of 16 feet and 32 feet, and a large circular pit descending to a depth of 108 feet. It contains several simulated underwater caves. Troy had a nervous feeling that his family was going to be in that pool area. Troy looked back at his friends and he could see that they were just as nervous as he was.

_Just breathe Troy…just breathe_, Troy repeatedly thought to himself as he quietly walked through the halls of the scuba school. Troy then heard the sounds of men talking…their voices were familiar to him. He had heard them all before. He found that their voices came from the area where the deepest pool in the world was. He was right. He turned to his two friends and he stopped them. Troy took several deep breathes and he put his hands on both his friend's shoulders.

"Guys they're hiding them where the largest pool in the world is." Troy stated nervously. Chad nodded his head with blank eyes.

"You're going to get them back Troy. Everything will be fine." Chad tried to promise Troy, but that didn't keep Troy from trembling nervously. It was going to take a lot for Troy to settle down.

"I just…I can't screw up. I can't let this man take away Gabriella and Ethan forever. I refuse to be responsible for their deaths. I won't live with that. I won't live without them." Troy confessed with fear in his eyes. Ryan put a hand on Troy's shoulder and he had very bold eyes.

"You are not going to screw up. You just have to go in there and show them that you know what you are doing." Ryan assured Troy like Chad had attempted to do. Troy nodded his head, his eyes bleak and terrified.

"Before we go in there, I just want you guys to know that I am so thankful for all of our friendships. Gabriella and my kids have really loved you guys. But please…promise me that you'll leave Victor to me. No matter how many of them are in there…promise that you will not let me allow Victor to get away." Troy said, worry and determination in his voice. Chad and Ryan nodded their heads as small smiles crept across their faces.

"We're with you to the death." Ryan promised Troy. And just by looking into Ryan's eyes, Troy knew that he meant it.

"You're not alone in this." Chad guaranteed Troy. Troy allowed a smile to grow across his face but it didn't reach his eyes. He wished that he would wake up and find out that everything was just a nightmare.

Troy turned his back to his two friends and he slowly walked down the hall and he eyed the door that held the large pool. He paused at the door and tried to restart his failing heart. He took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes and he slowly opened them when he exhaled. And then he found himself and his two friends entering the pool area, staring at the largest pool he had ever seen in his life. And standing across from him was Victor, Phil, Tess, Charles and Frank. But he didn't pay attention to them; he saw Ethan and Gabriella tied up and sitting on the edge of the pool. Ethan was crying but Gabriella was the only one of the two that were gagged. He could see that she was trembling with fear. Anger and sadness took over Troy's body as he watched his family, bound and helpless.

"Hello Troy…we're all so glad to see you." Victor greeted in an eerie tone that sent chills down Troy's back. Troy stared at him with pure anger in his eyes.

"Let my family go now!" Troy demanded as he hollered loudly to Victor. Victor darkly chuckled as his head shook from side to side.

"I intended on doing just that. I am not lying; I want you to take them home and make sure that I do not harm them again. I want to leave your life forever and leave your family alone. But there is a little twist to my friendly gesture. A sadistic choice rather that you are going to have to decide. You have to choose who lives: The sweet innocent boy that resembles you or the beautiful woman that you and I both love. Whoever you choose will live. The other…will drown in the world's deepest pool." Victor darkly concluded with a chuckle. Troy felt his breathe shorten. He had to choose between Gabriella and Ethan. He couldn't choose. He couldn't make a choice as sadistic like that. He couldn't be responsible for this kind of murder. But that wasn't acceptable.

"Neither. I choose neither. Please, don't kill my family. Take me instead. You always wanted me dead so here is your chance Victor. I won't fight you and I won't ask you to make it quick; just don't kill my family. They deserve to live more than I do." Troy pleaded as unseen tears began to fill his sapphire eyes. Ryan and Chad stared at each other with shock in there eyes as Troy stared at Victor who was deep in thought. Gabriella looked at her little son and tried to keep herself from crying as she watched him cry.

"That does seem like a better choice…me killing you…never having to see you again…it is a very tempting offer. But…I won't. I won't because I think seeing you in pain for the rest of your life is much more satisfying than seeing you dead." Victor told Troy. Tess grinned as she took Victor's side and placed a hand on Victor's shoulder. She placed a hand on her waist, gently pulling out a gun from her leather pants and held it up, just to show Troy that they were in a higher power than him.

"You know that we can kill both of them at the same time if you don't choose Troy. We will feel no remorse." Tess tormented Troy with a devilish grin. Troy saw Phil bite his lip to hold back an angered growl, but Frank and Charles just chuckled as they agreed with Tess. Victor smirked at Tess before he looked back at Troy.

"You heard Tess. We're not noble at all. We have no mercy. We don't care which one of them will live or die. You better choose because we are impatient human beings." Victor taunted Troy. Troy bit his lip as he watched his son look away from his dad as he cried and he watched Gabriella trying to talk to him through her gag. He saw Charles chuckle and walk towards Gabriella.

"I think your wife wants to talk." Charles said as he slowly undid her gag and she did not hesitate to call out to Troy.

"Troy, pick Ethan! Don't you dare pick me. Remember what you promised me Troy; you promised that you would never pick me over the kids! Troy, don't think about me! Please don't let Ethan die! Please let Ethan live! DON'T PICK ME!" Gabriella pleaded as tears began to soak up her eyes. Charles chuckled as he gagged her once more and walked away from her.

"Smart wife you got there!" Frank hollered.

"Face it Troy…you know that Gabriella is right. You know that promise you made to her will come true. You know that you would do anything to make her happy…even if it means picking death. You better pick now Troy…the clock is ticking and my patience is wearing off." Victor concluded darkly.

"The only person dying here is you Victor! You're going to die!" Troy screamed. Victor shook his head with a sickened smirk on his face.

"My patience with you just ran out boy." Victor hissed, causing Troy to stiffen nervously. Victor grinned devilishly as he turned to Phil who remained silent the whole time.

"Phil…you've been awfully quiet. How about you do the honors in choosing who gets to drown?" Victor suggested, his twisted mind becoming even more demented. Phil bit his lip harder as he walked right up behind Gabriella and Ethan's bound bodies. He paused as he pulled his gun out from the pocket of his black slacks. He aimed it first at Ethan's head and then at Gabriella's. Troy slowly began to run over, but Chad and Ryan held him back in their grasps.

"I think Troy is right…I think you're the only one that's going to die." Phil muttered darkly as he swiftly raised his gun and shot Victor in the shoulder. As Victor fell to the ground yelping in pain, Charles and Frank pulled out their guns and fired at Phil, but he missed each bullet.

This was a great diversion for Troy, Chad and Ryan to run over. Ryan tackled Frank while Chad tackled Charles and they beat the guns out of their hands so they wouldn't shoot. Phil fought off Tess so she couldn't get away to attack Troy and he succeeded. And Troy did just what he was trained to do; he attacked Victor. He jumped him and he kneed him where he once broke his leg, and he also grabbed his open gun wound and watched as Victor screamed and pleaded in pain. Troy punched him several times in the face and he threw him to the ground and watched as he twitched in pain like an insect that had just been stepped on. Troy stood over him.

"Not so tough now huh?" Troy hissed as he spat on him. Victor looked to his side and he chuckled darkly.

"What are you laughing at?" Troy demanded. Victor lifted a weak hand to the pool.

"Ask Tess." Victor stated as he continued to point at the pool. Troy looked and he saw Tess standing in between Gabriella and Ethan.

"Looks like I'm making this choice Troy." Tess taunted. And before Troy even knew it, Tess pushed both Ethan and Gabriella into the pool.

"NO!" Troy screamed as loud as he could as he charged towards the pool and he dived in. By the time Troy dived into the water, he saw that Ethan was sinking right to the bottom and Gabriella was struggling to swim up, but she couldn't quite do so. Ethan was about to land on the flat platform, but Gabriella was headed towards the 108 foot pit. He had to choose. He had to choose between his wife and son.

But then he saw someone else jump in the water as well. It was Phil. He charged down towards Ethan and he swiftly grabbed him. Phil looked at Troy and motioned for him to go to Gabriella and he swam to the top with Ethan in his arms. Troy wasted no time racing to Gabriella as she continued to sink. Troy dove further and further under until he was just a hand stretch away from her. He tugged her loose black shirt and he pulled her up to him and he began to quickly swim up the surface. As he swam up, he could hear loud gunfire's and the sounds of familiar crying. He spat a large quantity of water out of his mouth when he reached the surface. He looked at the deck and he saw Ethan crying in Chad's arms, Frank and Charles knocked out on the ground, Phil gasping for air on the floor with Ryan by his side and Tess handcuffed to an unconscious Victor on the side, sobbing.

"Chad!" Troy hollered as he swam quickly with an unconscious Gabriella in her arms. Chad let Ethan go as he helped Troy get Gabriella up on the floor. Troy quickly went to her side and he ripped the gag from her lips and he opened her mouth and he performed mouth-to-mouth on her several times before she awoke and began to spit out water. Troy put a hand behind her head when she finished coughing out water.

"Babe…I'm here. It's okay." Troy whispered to her with passion and devotion in his voice; he almost lost her and he needed her to stay alive for him and their children. Gabriella didn't say anything; she just stared at him in a daze.

"Troy…Troy…" And with that said, her body went limp and she passed out. Troy began to try and shake her awake, but he was stopped by Chad.

"She's experiencing post-traumatic stress. This is a common symptom. Go over to Phil; Tess and Victor shot him when he rescued Ethan. But Phil managed to get Ethan to me and Ryan fought off Tess and Phil had enough strength to shoot Victor once more. Victor passed out from all the blood loss." Chad informed Troy as he began to untie Gabriella while Ethan clutched on tight to him. Troy just nodded his head as he got up and walked over to Phil's bloody and wet body. Blood was soaking through Phil's light blue shirt. Tess stayed crying on the floor, waiting for her punishment to come. She had handcuffed her wrist as well as Victor's wrist to a nearby pole. She was ready to go to jail with Victor.

"I called 911…they're on their way." Ryan assured Troy as he knelt down beside Phil. Troy stared at Phil and he nodded his head to Ryan's statement.

"Thanks Ryan. Phil…we're going to get you out of here. You're going to make it. You're going to live." Troy tried to assure Phil who was bleeding incessantly. Phil smiled a weak smile as he feebly shook his head.

"No…I don't want to. I'm ready to die…like this." Phil told Troy. Troy shook his head from side to side, unable to believe that Phil was going to accept this fate.

"Phil, no you can't. You can't die, not like this." Troy pleaded. But Phil just shook his head and looked into Troy's eyes.

"Yes Troy. This is how fate was supposed to be. Don't toy with it. I'm sorry Troy…I'm…I'm…so sorry for betraying you." Phil apologized as he began to cough. Troy shook his head as tears fell from his eyes.

"No…don't be sorry. You saved my wife and my son. Despite everything I said to you before…you're like my brother. You always were and you always will be." Troy promised Phil.

After offering one last smile, Phil closed his eyes and let his life slip away.

Tears fell from everyone's eyes as Phil's body fell limp. He was dead. Phil was dead. Even though he betrayed him and almost took his family away from him, Troy couldn't help but feel sad. He couldn't help himself from crying. Troy turned Ryan who was also crying and he nodded his head as he walked away from Phil's corpse and he walked over to his weeping son. Ethan looked up from Chad's chest and the moment he saw his daddy, Ethan let go and ran to his father. Troy was quick to get down on his knees and wrap him in his arms and he held him tight against his chest. Troy listened as Ethan wept into the crook of his neck and Troy struggled to cry silently. This was too much for little Ethan.

"I'm here Ethan…daddy's here." Troy whispered into Ethan's ear as he placed endless kisses along his tearstained cheeks. Ethan didn't say anything as he pulled his father closer into him and continued to cry. Troy knew that there were some things that Ethan's eyes never should've seen.

"Daddy…" Ethan whimpered into the crook of his father's neck. Troy picked him up from the ground and he turned to look at Chad when he saw the ambulance and police officers arrive. Two police officers awoke the unconscious bodies of Frank and Charles and they immediately handcuffed them and took them out. Victor awoke from all the commotion and he pleaded for the officers not to take him away as they came and handcuffed him. But Tess said nothing as the police took her away; she accepted her fate finally. She had just killed her fiancé; nothing was ever going to make it right.

Troy sat on a bench, wrapped in a blanket with Ethan still in his arms and he watched as Victor and Tess were being taken away. Victor just looked at Troy. He didn't have vengeance or hatred in his cold eyes…he had remorse. Victor truly looked sorry. But Troy would never accept his apology. Victor caused his family too much pain. He would never forgive him. And then when Troy locked eyes with Tess, the tears that she had been crying were much more apparent than before. Troy felt no remorse for Tess either, but he knew that she was sorry for killing the man she loved. It was a painful feeling; losing a companion. Troy's eyes wandered to the paramedics placing Phil's mangled and bloody body in the black body bag and they began to push him out. Ryan and Chad spoke to the paramedics while three other medics strapped Gabriella up on the stretcher and they began to wheel her out as well.

"Sir, we're going to have to take your son into the ambulance with us." A paramedic informed Troy as they attempted to take him from Troy. But Troy shook his head.

"No. He's not leaving my sight." Troy firmly stated as he held Ethan closer to his body. The paramedic sighed.

"Sir, he may have injuries that could cause him difficulty for the future and we would like to examine him. You may come in the ambulance with him." The paramedic informed Troy. Troy just stared at the paramedic and he nodded his head as he got up from the bench and placed Ethan down on the stretcher. And he was soon wheeled away. Troy was about to follow behind, but his two best friends grabbed his shoulder. Troy turned and saw Chad's smile.

"You did good. You're family's safe now." Chad assured Troy. Ryan nodded as he clapped a hand down on Troy's back.

"You did everything you could. Just know that you're safe now." Ryan guaranteed Troy. Troy just stared at his friends and he pulled them into a hug. He needed their comfort.

"Thanks you guys. For everything." Troy told them as he slowly let them go.

"Anytime Troy…you better get going. We'll meet you at the hospital." Ryan told Troy.

Troy left the scuba school and he watched as Gabriella's stretcher was put into the first ambulance and Ethan was put into the second one. He ran into the second one and he found Ethan still recovering from the whimpering. Troy took his side and he rested a hand on top of Ethan's head. Ethan stopped sniveling completely and he just stared at his dad as he began to run his fingers through his little boy's hair. Troy's hand then slid to the side of Ethan's face and he gently stroked his son's cheek with his thumb. His son was safe now; he wouldn't have to say goodbye to him too soon.

"I love you so much Ethan." Troy told Ethan as tears fell from his own eyes. Ethan stared at his father and offered a weak and feeble smile.

"I love you too daddy." Ethan whispered to his father.

And for the first time in months, Troy knew he didn't have to tell anyone else goodbye.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Okay so just because Victor is now arrested does not mean that this story is done! There are two more chapters to come…so keep reviewing!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	19. Safe at Last

**Safe at Last**

**Author's Note: ****Only one chapter is left guys! This is ****NOT**** the final chapter! I repeat, this is NOT the final chapter! This is just a filler chapter until the next chapter. So please keep reading and reviewing my story until it's finished!!**

**Chapter Summary: ****A family is reunited at the hospital, when they see that they are free from their stalker's torment.**

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_I was broken for a long time  
but it's over now  
Said I was broken for a long time  
but it's over now_

_-Robert Pattinson 'I was Broken' _

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Troy was falling in an out of consciousness as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital. It was already six o'clock in the morning and while he waited for doctors to give him the news on Ethan and Gabriella, he had to go over hour's worth of questions and answers with the police. The police had placed Charles and Frank into prison, where they were going to be charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. Troy was told that they were expected to get life in prison with no parole. They wouldn't get the death penalty, but Troy felt safe knowing that they would be in a high security prison for the rest of their lives.

Troy learned that Tess was also going to prison for life for attempted murder, kidnapping as well as breaking and entering. The police officer had confided in Troy that she has asked that she not get a lawyer. She was accepting her fate and accepting all the wrong she had caused. Troy knew that she was heartbroken from having to kill Phil and she would have to spend the rest of her life in prison with no one there to care for her. She would be alone for the rest of her life. And Tess didn't want to stop it. And Troy couldn't have cared. She was the reason why he was almost going to be alone for the rest of his life, and as much as he mourned the loss of Phil, he couldn't feel sorry for Tess.

Victor was going to get the death penalty. Victor was born in Dallas, Texas and he was returned to the Texas jail. Victor was going to be convicted of third degree murder, attempted murder, stalking, kidnapping and three different counts of fraud. Troy knew that he was going to receive death penalty. He was considered a fugitive and his continuous mistakes were ultimately going to lead to death. Troy knew that he should be pleased that he would be gone permanently, but Troy felt that no one deserves to be put to death. He wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy. Even for someone as sadistic and evil as Victor, Troy would never wish death upon him.

"I think that's all we needed to know Mr. Bolton. Take care." The police officer said as he shook Troy's hand and walked down the hall, leaving Troy alone once more. Troy sat himself back into his chair and he stared at the ceiling, trying to keep his eyes awake as he tried to think of what could possibly be taking the doctors so long. He had to see his family. He had to make sure that they were okay.

"Troy?" A familiar voice answered. Troy slowly looked to see who it was and he smiled weakly when he saw Sharpay. Ryan and Chad had stayed with Troy for two hours before Troy sent them both home. Ryan must've called Sharpay to come and check up on Troy.

"Hey Sharp." Troy greeted, his voice feeble and tired. Sharpay smiled as she walked over and she gave him a hug. Troy tried to hug her with as much strength as he had, but he didn't have the energy.

"Troy, are you alright? Ryan told me everything that happened at the pool. Is Phil really dead? And are Ethan and Gabriella okay? Have you seen them at all yet? Troy, tell me if everything is okay!" Sharpay urged from Troy. Troy sighed as he tried to recall what had happened. Everything seemed to happen so fast; it was all one big blur. He had to think about what had happened for a moment. He found himself forgetting.

"Um…he called me Thursday night. I was told to go to that scuba school where the largest pool in the world is and Victor had Ethan and Gabriella both tied up and he told me I had to choose which one was going to live and which one was going to die. I refused and he was going to make Phil choose but then Phil shot Victor. We all fought for a while but Tess pushed both Ethan and Gabriella into the pool and Phil and I dove after them. Phil caught Ethan but when he rose to the surface…" Troy's voice trailed. He didn't see Phil get shot, but he could only imagine what would've happened through Ethan's young eyes.

"Victor and Tess shot Phil." Sharpay finished Troy's sentence, already knowing what happened. Troy nodded his head with somber eyes.

"But he somehow still managed to get Ethan to Chad. And he shot Victor before Ryan rescued him. I was with Phil just before he died…and I just…I couldn't believe it. I grew up with him and I was there watching him die. I know that I should've been angry at him, but he sacrificed himself for Ethan. I couldn't have hated him. I had to look at him as my brother before he died. And now…I'm stuck here at the hospital, praying and hoping that they didn't get hurt while they were being held captive. I'm just scared." Troy admitted to Sharpay with pure fear in his voice. He may not have feared that someone was going to hurt him but he feared that his family was hurt. Sharpay only offered him a sad smile as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Troy, you saved your family. They are safe. For the first time in a long time, your family is going to be able to sleep at night without fear. They are alive because of you Troy. Yes, you're in a hospital waiting for the doctors to tell you that they're okay, but would you rather see them in a morgue waiting to be worm food? You did everything humanly possible Troy. Be proud of yourself." Sharpay encouraged Troy, trying to act as a good friend. Troy stared at Sharpay for the longest time. Her eyes were serious and stern. She truly meant every word. She wasn't just saying it to make him feel better. Troy smiled weakly as he put an arm around Sharpay and pulled her into him, like he would treat a little sister.

"Thanks Sharpay. Thanks for everything that you've done." Troy thanked Sharpay as he held her close. She smiled and hugged him back.

"Don't thank me Troy. I always help my family." Sharpay told Troy with sincerity and genuineness in her voice. Moments later, Doctor Henry entered the waiting room, holding a clipboard and staring at Troy with an unfathomable expression in his eyes. Troy wasn't sure if he should be concerned or relieved to see his face.

"Troy Bolton? I have news on your wife and son." Henry told Troy. Troy gave Sharpay a worried stare as he got up from his chair and walked to Henry, Sharpay following slowly behind him. Troy sighed nervously as he stood in front of Henry.

"Are they alright?" Troy asked, nervousness filling his voice. Henry looked down at his clipboard and checked their statuses.

"Your little boy was really shaken up when he arrived. He would not stop screaming and crying so we had to sedate him. He may experience post-traumatic stress, which is understandable, given the circumstances. He didn't seem to have any injuries but he is malnourished. When he wakes up, you should consider getting him into therapy and you may want to get him to eat something like fruits and grains. He should be fine other than that." Henry informed Troy. Troy sighed to himself. Ethan was going to be fine. He may need therapy, but Troy would be able to protect him. But Troy had to know if Gabriella was as okay as Ethan was.

"What about my wife?" Troy asked, half afraid to know the answer. Henry flipped a few pages from his clipboard and his eyes scanned Gabriella's results.

"She appears to also be malnourished and she was coughing out water still from when she was thrown into the pool. But she is going to be fine. There are no physical harm done to her that we can find but she may be withdrawing that kind of information from us." Henry informed Troy, looking up into his eyes.

"You mean Gabriella's awake?" Sharpay asked loudly. Henry looked at Sharpay and nodded his head slowly.

"She awoke about an hour ago when we were doing all the testing's on her. Troy, you should go in and see her. She kept asking for you and Ethan. And Miss Evans, you may want to see Ethan. He confided in our nurses that you can make him laugh when his father and mother aren't around." Henry said. Sharpay smiled proudly of herself and she nodded her head.

"I'll go see him. I'll come by in about twenty minutes to see Gabriella." Sharpay told Troy as she hugged him goodbye. Troy hugged her back and he slowly released her and watched as Doctor Henry led her to Ethan's room. Troy slowly walked down the hall and he stood in front of Gabriella's room, fearful of entering. With a deep sigh, he walked in and saw his wife on her hospital bed.

Gabriella was laying on her left side, just staring out the window in a daze. She didn't show any signs in her body that indicated she knew Troy was in the room. Troy could only see her back, but he could tell that she had lost a few pounds. She was naturally tiny, but Troy could see that she was frail now. Troy tried to imagine what she could've gone through and Troy had to cringe. It was all too unbearable. A part of him didn't want to know what she and Ethan went through. But he knew that he would find closure if he found out. He took in another deep breath, which Gabriella heard. She looked at him over her shoulder and just stared at Troy as he pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down.

"Troy." Gabriella said in a feeble voice as she turned on her left side and stared at Troy. Troy stared at his pale and weak looking wife and he felt his heart slowly breaking inside him. He could've protected her and Ethan. He could've done anything to protect them. But it was too late.

"Gabby…I am so sorry." Troy apologized, his voice beginning to falter. Gabriella only stared at Troy, her eyes still in a daze. It was like she was confused at what Troy had been telling her. Moments later, she blinked and she slowly shook her head.

"It's not your fault Troy. Please don't blame yourself." Gabriella pleaded in an equally weak voice. Troy shook his head as he took hold of Gabriella's small hand. He wasn't going to let this go so easily.

"I shouldn't have left you and Ethan alone in that cottage. I'm always going to regret leaving you both there alone. I will never…" Troy began to say, but he was then cut off by Gabriella.

"Stop it! Troy, please just stop it." Gabriella loudly hollered to Troy. Troy stared at her with shock in his eyes. She snapped so abruptly; it was very out of character for Gabriella. Troy stared at her in shock as she began to let tears of frustration slip from her eyes.

"Ethan and I almost died. We're lucky you got to us both in time somehow. Why can't you be thankful that we are in the hospital because of you and not at the bottom of the world's biggest pool! Why can't you just be thankful that we got hurt but made it out alive?!" Gabriella demanded as she tried to keep the tears from falling from her eyes, but nothing she did could stop them. Troy sighed as he began to run a hand through her raven hair. She was obviously still traumatized from everything that happened and he had to calm her down.

"Gabriella…its okay…" Troy said in a soothing voice and watched as his wife helplessly began to cry.

"I was so scared Troy. I was so scared that Victor was going to win. I was so scared I was going to lose Ethan. I kept praying that you would choose him over me. But a part of me wanted to live to make sure that…you made Victor pay for everything he did to us." Gabriella sobbed with fear in her eyes. She was still not over everything that had happened; she was fearful of everything. Troy's fingers were knotted through her hair as he continued to soothe her and comfort her fragile state. He didn't want to have to ask her this, but he knew that he had to know.

"Gabriella…did Victor…?" Troy began to ask but his voice trailed. Gabriella stared at him and she shook her head as the tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"No. No he never did. He kept Ethan and I locked up in that basement for days and he never came down to see us until he took us to the pool. Tess and Phil would take turns staying with us and they often didn't speak to Ethan or I. But Phil did feel bad. He would try to bring Ethan and me food whenever he came to stay with us. The worst…part of it all…was pretending to be strong for Ethan. I couldn't let him see me so weak and feeble. I didn't want him to be stronger than me. And…I wanted you not to save me because…I wanted to die knowing that he would have a father who was always going to be strong." Gabriella sobbed uncontrollably.

Troy stared at her and he got up from his chair and he rested himself down beside Gabriella on the bed. He wrapped her up in his strong and muscular arms and he let her sob into his chest. Gabriella did not hesitate to curl up into his body and allow her tears to soak through his shirt. She quivered and trembled while Troy's hands run up and down her arms. Troy turned his head and he pressed a kiss on the top of her head. Her hair still smelt of the chlorine. When Troy's lips left her hair, Troy found that her cries began to die down. Gabriella still kept her head buried into Troy's chest but he found that she wasn't sobbing. Troy's hand travelled to her face and he cradled it softly in his hand. Gabriella looked up into Troy's blue eyes as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"You are strong Gabriella. You're stronger than anyone I'll ever know. You stayed strong for Ethan and Vienna. You stayed strong for me. I don't know how you can get much stronger than that. Do you want to know why I was strong enough to get through everything that happened? It was because of you and the kids. I knew I had to be strong for the three of you because I couldn't imagine life without you all. I love you and the kids so much." Troy lovingly told Gabriella as his thumb ghosted across her cheek. Gabriella's tears silently streamed down her cheeks as she stared into Troy's sapphire blue eyes and allowed him to caress her cheek.

"I love you." Gabriella said, just above a whisper. Troy managed a weak smile as he slowly brought his head in and captured his wife's lips in a kiss. He hadn't kissed those lips in almost a weak. He almost forgot the feel and taste of them. The taste of her was still as sweet as he remembered. He wasn't sure if he was going to let her go.

But he had to; he heard a deep male voice clear his throat. Troy quickly let go of Gabriella's lips and he turned to see who was at the door. It was his father. And nestled sweetly in his arms was little Vienna. She wore her little white dress and silver slippers. It was Vienna's first gift from her grandmother. Troy managed to blush as Jack walked further into the hospital room with Vienna cradled in his arms. Troy had called him an hour before to tell him that Ethan and Gabriella were safe and they were at the hospital. He must've come so Vienna could see her mother and brother.

"Sorry to…interrupt but I just thought that you would want to see Vienna. She slept all night until after you called. She woke up and started crying." Jack said as he walked over and he handed Vienna to Troy.

"Thanks dad." Troy thanked as he watched Vienna curl up into his chest. Gabriella nudged Troy's shoulder.

"Give her to me. I need to see my little sunshine." Gabriella urged. Troy nodded his head and he carefully put Vienna in her arms. Gabriella was quick to cuddle her and place kisses on her head. Jack smiled as he walked over to Gabriella's side of the bed and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling dear?" Jack asked Gabriella, acting very fatherly towards Gabriella. Gabriella looked at Jack and she managed a weak smile as she nodded her head.

"I'm fine. I'm just…trying to let it all sink in." Gabriella answered honestly. Jack nodded his head with a smile. Another knock at the door was soon heard. It was Sharpay holding Ethan. She smiled as she walked into the room.

"Hey guys. Ethan kept asking for you guys. The doctors said that he could stay with you so I just carried him over." Sharpay explained as she handed Ethan to Troy. Ethan was quick to wrap his arms around his father and vice versa. Ethan needed his dad more than anyone; he was too much like him.

"Thanks for bringing him, Sharpay." Troy thanked. Sharpay nodded her head and looked down at her watch.

"Well I won't keep you guys. Please call me if you need me to get anything." Sharpay said as she waved goodbye and left. Jack walked around the bed and he waved to his son and his family.

"I'm going to head out as well. I'll come by at about noon to see if you guys need anything. I've got my cell on me if you need me." Jack said as he left the room.

There was a silence between the Bolton family as Troy rested back down beside Gabriella, clutching Ethan to him. Once Troy was down, he placed an arm around Gabriella and an already sleeping Vienna and he pulled them in closer to him and Ethan. They were safe. They were all safe. He was strong enough to save them. He smiled as he looked down at his family.

"I love you guys so much. We're safe now, but if something like this were to happen again, I will fight to the death for you all. I love you all so much." Troy told them as he first placed kisses on the head's of his two kids and then on the forehead of his wife. Ethan looked up at his father and then looked at his baby sister and he pulled his family in closer to him.

"I missed you and Vivi daddy." Ethan whispered as he kissed his little sister's cheek before kissing his father's. Troy smiled down at Ethan and he kissed him once more.

"I missed you too buddy." Troy promised Ethan as Ethan's eyes slowly began to close while he cuddled into his father. He fell asleep within minutes. Gabriella smiled at her two sleeping children before she looked into her husband's eyes and smiled. It was her first real smile in days.

"I love you so much Troy. I always will." Gabriella lovingly swore to Troy. Troy smiled and he slowly brought his head in close to hers and he captured her lips in a kiss. He slowly released her and he offered her a soft smile.

"You know I always will love you." Troy promised his wife. Gabriella smiled in return and she rested her head down on Troy's broad shoulder and closed her eyes. And her light breathing was all that Troy could hear. Troy stared at his sleeping family, nestled sweetly in his arms and he managed a weak smile. They were safe at last. They had to have a few bumps in the road and lose a few people, but they were safe. And that was all that mattered.

With one last smile, Troy slowly closed his eyes and he too, fell into a deep sleep.

_**To be continued…**_

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_**Okay this is NOT the end, there is one more chapter! I know you're all going to be like 'what could happen?' but you have to read to find out! This is a filler chapter so you'll have to just bear with me here. Read and review!!**_

_**Alanna xo**_


	20. Epilogue: A Year Later

**Epilogue- A Year Later**

**Author's Note: ****Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to publish this last chapter…I wanted this final chapter to be epic. I would just like to thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I loved how passionate you all were when it came to reviewing. Thanks so much!**

**Chapter Summary: ****A year has passed since Victor's attacks and the Bolton family is prepared to celebrate.**

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_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

_- Nickelback 'Far Away'_

_--_

Troy sighed as he did up his tie and stared at the clear blue sky. He felt himself getting nervous. He really shouldn't have been; everything was going to go the way he wanted it to go. It was going to be the perfect day. Nothing was going to go wrong. Troy took a deep breath and let the Hawaii breezes soothe him as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room. He only had to wait one more hour. Just sixty more minutes on his own. Then he would be able to see Gabriella again. He had to see her. He needed to see her. He missed her too much already. Troy and Gabriella were renewing their vows on the beaches on Hawaii.

The media had found out about their vow renewal plans and they had been giving Troy and Gabriella a hard time about the wedding date and wanting to be there to see their wedding. Troy and Gabriella didn't want the press at their wedding like the first time they got married, so to avoid any conflict, Chad had informed the press that the wedding was taking place on August twentieth in California. But the wedding was really July twenty-fourth and was taking place in Hawaii. Only their loved ones would be attending the vow renewal. They all wanted to see Troy and Gabriella, now that they were safe from Victor.

Victor was on trial in Texas and he was eventually given the death penalty. He died four months after from lethal injection. Tess was sentenced to life in prison with no parole and she did nothing to stop the sentencing. Troy and Gabriella also opened a protection program called the 'Phil Protection Program' in honor of their deceased friend. They knew that even though he lied and betrayed them, in the end he saved them all and sacrificed his life. He deserved to have that credit.

"Daddy, can you help me put my tie on?" Ethan asked as he came out onto the balcony, his voice still sweet and innocent. Troy turned to his little boy and he smiled when he saw him in his black tuxedo.

Ethan had been through a lot ever since Victor's attack. Ethan constantly had nightmares about his abduction and watching Phil die while he was in his arms. He would scream and cry in the middle of the night and it got to a point where Ethan would refuse to sleep. Troy had let him sleep in his bed with Gabriella, but he knew that Ethan needed professional help for the trauma that Victor had inflicted on him. Ethan was in therapy for a year and was being treated for post-traumatic stress. He was better, but he did occasionally have nightmares about Victor and needed his parents' support.

"Come here buddy. You look just like James Bond!" Troy said as he got down on his knees and began to do up Ethan's tie. He had changed a little bit in the past year. Ethan grew taller and his hair was trimmed. But he still looked more like Troy than ever before. That never changed.

"You look like James Bond too, daddy. Mommy will like it." Ethan said with his sweet little smile. Troy smiled at his son as he did up his tie and then scooped him up in his strong broad arms. Troy placed a soft kiss on his son's cheek.

"She'll be happy to see you too. And you'll see Vienna soon too. She'll be so proud of you when she sees you as the ring bearer. We better go see if Uncle Chad and Uncle Ryan are ready." Troy said as he carried Ethan back into their hotel room and he saw Chad and Ryan just tying up their ties and fixing their collars.

Chad and Ryan had been there for the Bolton family since Victor's arrest. They knew that Troy and Gabriella needed their help with Vienna and helping Ethan cope with what happened so they had offered Troy and Gabriella lots of love and care. Chad and Taylor got married six months after the incident and the Bolton family was actively involved with the wedding. Ryan started to date musician Kelsi Neilson. In addition to a great love life, Ryan, Troy and Sharpay's movie that they had been working on got phenomenal reviews and Wayne won yet another award for his directing skills.

"So Troy no offense or anything, but why are we wearing tuxedos in Hawaii? It's so hot here!" Chad complained as he looked down at his white tuxedo. Ryan laughed at Chad and he clapped a hand on his back.

"Chad, it's not that bad. And we can't complain; this is Troy and Gabriella's day…again." Ryan punned with a grin. Ethan chuckled as he cuddled up closer to his father.

"I bet mommy and Vivi will look pretty." Ethan said with a sheepish smile. Troy smiled at his son and he pressed a kiss on Ethan's cheek.

"They will look beautiful. And you and I and your uncle's are going to look handsome. But I think your uncles will need some work though." Troy joked to Ethan as he set him down on the floor. A gentle knock was heard at the door and Ryan ran to answer it. It was Troy's mother. She wore a deep blue tailor styled dress with black designs and she paired her dress with black and white shoes as well as a gold clutch. She smiled at all the men in the room.

"Hello boys. I just came to see how you were all doing." Lucille said as she entered the hotel room and closed the door behind her.

"We're doing just fine, we were just talking." Chad informed her with a nonchalant smile. Lucille smiled at Chad and her smile brightened when she saw Ethan coming towards her.

"And you look just adorable Ethan! You are beginning to look more like your father every time I see you." Lucille cooed to Ethan as she engulfed him into a loving hug. Ethan smiled as he hugged his grandmother.

"Thank you, grandma." Ethan thanked with a shy smile. Lucille placed a kiss on Ethan's cheek before she looked up and saw her son in his tuxedo. She smiled proudly as she walked over and pulled him into a motherly hug. She held him for several moments in a silence as she realized how grownup her own son was. He had a wife, two beautiful children and a striving career. He overcame challenges on his own and here he was, renewing his vow to show the world how much he loved his wife. She really was proud of him.

"You are handsome Troy. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. I really am Troy." Lucille whispered to her son as she placed a kiss on his cheek. Troy smiled as he hugged his mother back. He may have been twenty-eight years old and married with children, but a part of him knew that he would always be a mama's boy.

"I love you mom." Troy told his mother as he kissed her cheek as well. Lucille smiled as she slowly let go of her son and she turned to the other men in the room and she smiled as radiantly as she normally did.

"Well enough of the small talk…I came to get you all. We have only half an hour until the wedding starts and you men aren't even there yet. The beach is all set up and guests are beginning to arrive." Lucille said in a hurry as she began to usher the men out the door. Troy scooped Ethan into his arms and held him close.

"We're going to see mommy and Vienna soon. And you're going to see grandpa there too." Troy cooed to Ethan as they walked towards the limo that awaited them. Ethan looked at his father and raised his small eyebrows.

"Where is grandpa? Why wasn't he with grandma?" Ethan asked curiously. Troy grinned as he pressed a kiss up against Ethan's temple.

"Oh grandpa had something he had to do for your mother." Troy vaguely informed Ethan. Ethan shrugged his shoulders and cuddled into him as they entered the limo, where Lucille, Ryan and Chad were waiting for them. After shutting the door and making sure that Ethan was strapped in, Troy took a deep breath as he felt the limo driving down towards the beach. His heart began racing quicker than before. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would see his Gabriella, who was also anxiously waiting to see him.

--

Gabriella stood in her hotel suite and she stared at herself in the mirror for the longest time. She looked different but in a good way. Her wedding dress was beautiful. It was a beautiful white strapless chiffon slimline dress. It came with a chapel train and it complimented her sun-kissed skin beautifully. With a gentle smile, Gabriella slowly put a sapphire necklace around her neck, completing the something blue for her wedding. Gabriella then put a diamond heart tennis bracelet around her wrist that Sharpay had allowed her to borrow. Gabriella slipped into her new white shoes before she put on her late mother's earrings to complete something old. Her hair was in loose curls as she looked at herself once more. She was ready for this wedding.

"Gabriella." Taylor's voice came from the door. Gabriella turned as smiled when she saw Taylor in her beautiful pink dress. Gabriella was there for Taylor at her wedding to Chad and she thought that it was the most beautiful wedding she had ever attended and she was very inspired to have another wedding to Troy because of her. Gabriella smiled softly at her as she walked towards Taylor and gave her a gentle hug. She needed to have a hug from her best friend.

"Taylor…" Gabriella whispered as she hugged Taylor with all her might. Taylor gave Gabriella a tight squeeze before she let go of her and offered her a friendly smile.

"You look absolutely beautiful Gabriella. Troy won't know what hit him once he sees you walk down that aisle." Taylor complimented as she complimented Gabriella's radiance. Gabriella blushed and smiled at Taylor. She looked past her shoulder and she could see Sharpay holding onto Vienna and cooing with her. Gabriella smiled as she walked over to Sharpay and Vienna.

"Let me see my little girl." Gabriella said in a singsong voice as she took Vienna from Sharpay's arms. A month after the abductions, Troy and Gabriella released pictures of Vienna to People magazine. The Bolton family was paid fourteen million for the pictures. They did an interview about their stalker incident, Gabriella's surprise pregnancy and how the abductions have made their family stronger.

"She looks adorable in her little pink dress. I still can't get over how much she looks like you, Gabs. She's so beautiful." Sharpay complimented as she ran a hand through her thick blonde hair. Sharpay had started dating Zeke Baylor, one of the most successful chefs in Hollywood. She felt really at peace with him and was proud to announce that they had become engaged.

"Of course she's going to be beautiful! Just look at her in this little pink dress. Vienna, tell Auntie Sharpay and Auntie Taylor who helped you pick out this dress." Gabriella cooed to Vienna who was still cradled in her arms. Vienna looked into her mother's eyes and she smiled as she tried to get the words out.

"Mama and dada." Vienna said with a smile. Those were her first words. Gabriella, like any other mom, wanted the whole world to hear her first words. Sharpay and Taylor both felt their hearts melt when they heard Vienna speak. They remembered her as a tiny little newborn and now she's starting to talk.

"Gabriella, she's growing up so quickly. She's slipping through our fingers. Before you know it, she's going to be the one getting married." Taylor stated as she ran a hand down Vienna's back. Gabriella smiled as she kissed Vienna's forehead.

"I don't want to think about that yet. For now, I just want her to be a baby." Gabriella said. Seconds later, there was a faint knock at the door. Sharpay answered the door and she smiled when she saw Jack.

"Hi Jack." Sharpay greeted as he walked in the door.

"Hi ladies. I came to see how you ladies were holding up." Jack stated as he walked into the hotel suite. Jack's eyes searched for his daughter-in-law and granddaughter and he froze in awe when he saw them both. He smiled a wide and vivid smile.

"Gabriella…you and Vienna are absolutely beautiful. I don't even know what to say. I'm so proud of you both." Jack said as he placed a kiss on Vienna's sweet baby cheek and then on Gabriella's cheek. Gabriella smiled humbly at Jack.

"Thanks Jack." Gabriella thanked with a soft smile. Jack nodded his head as he took Vienna from Gabriella's arms and he handed her to Taylor.

"Taylor, can you and Sharpay take Vienna to the limo? I have to speak to Gabriella in private." Jack informed Taylor. Taylor and Sharpay nodded their heads as they took hold of the beautiful little girl and they walked out of the hotel suite. When Jack heard the door shut, he turned to Gabriella and he smiled as he took both her hands in his.

"Gabriella…you are the best thing to have ever happened to my son. You gave him a sense of tranquility, two beautiful children and a reason for waking up in the morning. Lucille and I have seen how much you have changed him. He's a better man now. We have seen how far he will go to fight for you and your children and I'm almost certain that he will spend the rest of his life with you. You have been the daughter that Lucille and I never had. That's why it would be an honor if I could walk you down the aisle today." Jack proposed with a shy smile. Gabriella felt herself wanting to cry. Jack had been like her father since her parents died and hearing those words from him really made her feel like her parents never left. Gabriella was quick to wrap her arms around Jack.

"I would be honored if you walked me down the aisle…dad." Gabriella whispered into his ear, trying to keep herself from crying. Jack smiled as he kissed Gabriella's temple.

"Thank you. C'mon, you don't want to be late for your own wedding." Jack joked as he released Gabriella from his grasp and he ushered her out the hotel and towards the limo where Taylor and Sharpay had Vienna strapped in her seat, waiting for her mommy to come. Gabriella offered Jack a soft smile before she got into the limo and smiled at her best friends and her beautiful daughter. As the limo began to drive down towards the beach, Gabriella stared out the window and thought of the words she was going to tell Troy. She needed to express to Troy what an honor it really was to be his wife and the mother of his two children. As she thought of the perfect words, Gabriella smiled contently to herself. She was ready.

--

Troy let the gentle breeze hit him softly as he stood at the arch with his two best men and his son. He watched as friends and family began to sit down and admire the beautiful beach behind the arch. It was a beautiful sight to see. Everyone knew how much Troy and Gabriella loved the beach; Troy proposed to Gabriella on the beach. And everyone could see that Ethan and Vienna were water babies; they loved being in the water more than anywhere else. It was important to the whole family to have the vow renewal at the beach.

"Daddy, when are mommy and Vivi going to be here?" Ethan whispered to his dad. Troy looked down at his son and he smiled as he ran a hand down his cheek.

"They'll be here soon. I promise." Troy sincerely told Ethan. He knew that Gabriella would never bail on him. It wasn't her at all.

And then the music started to play. Gabriella and Vienna were here. Troy stared down the aisle as he watched Taylor walk down the aisle, holding her bouquet of flowers with a wide and vivid smile. She made eye contact with Chad and she winked at him and he winked back at her. Taylor then looked at Troy and she smiled at him, as if to say 'congratulations' and Troy smiled back to thank her. When Taylor walked to her spot, Sharpay walked down the aisle, holding onto little Vienna who clutched onto her aunt and her own little bouquet of flowers. Sharpay smiled at Zeke who sat beside Lucille and she then smiled at Troy who was smiling back. Vienna saw her daddy and brother and she began to call for them, which garnered 'awes' from everyone. Sharpay and Vienna then got to their position and everyone waited for Gabriella to make her big entrance.

And there she was. Gabriella had her arm looped through Jack's arm as she gracefully walked down the aisle. She smiled beautifully as the sun hit her skin, the breeze ran through her hair and as the sounds of the ocean filled her ears. But it was the man standing at the front that was making her heart quicken its pace. She could see the love in his eyes. She could see that he was longing for her. Troy's smile was contagious as he made eye contact with Gabriella. In those quick moments when they were just looking into each other's eyes, Troy could see all the moments he shared with Gabriella flash before his eyes. And he could see a beautiful future with her. Once she made it up to the archway, Jack kissed her cheek before sitting down and Gabriella laced both her hands with Troy's. Troy stared at her and he smiled vibrantly at his wife.

"You're beautiful." Troy barely whispered to her, due to the amount of awe in his voice. Gabriella smiled back at Troy and she squeezed his hands that were woven with hers.

"So are you." Gabriella whispered back to him. Troy and Gabriella just stared into each other's eyes as the priest began his sermon. Troy wasn't even paying attention to what the priest was saying. The only thing that mattered to him was the woman standing in front of him and the two children he helped her create. Nothing mattered to him anymore. Not his career, not the heat he was feeling from the sun…only her and his two children. The love he felt for them was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. And before Troy knew it, he had to say his vow. Troy stared into Gabriella's chocolate brown eyes and he smiled as the words from his heart escaped his lips.

"The moment I looked into your eyes all those years ago, I knew I was in love with you. There was an indescribable sparkle in your eye that brought this newfound joy into my life. When I'm with you my knees buckle and my heart beats faster than ever before. You saw things in me that I never saw in myself. When I'm with you I want to be a better person because I know that's what you deserve. We have been through a lot together. I know that there were times when we were ready to give up last year when we had our stalker problem, but I refused to let that happen. I've never been so scared of losing something in my life, but then again...nothing in my life has meant as much to me as you and the kids do. I would go to the extreme lengths I did before just to make sure that you and our children are safe. I love you Gabriella Rosa Claire Montez. I always will." Troy lovingly vowed to Gabriella as he slipped on a silver diamond band. Gabriella had tears streaking down her cheeks as she looked into Troy's blue eyes. She smiled as she thought through her words once more.

"Nora Ephron once said, 'True love is when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, and when you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.' That moment when you held me in your arms for the first time was the moment when I wanted to start my life with you. You have seen things in me that no one has ever taken the time to notice and you make me feel beautiful when I know that I really don't look it. You gave me more than I could've ever asked for. I look at Ethan and Vienna and I thank god everyday that you were in my life so I could've had these two beautiful angels. I thank god everyday that you were sent to me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I am grateful everyday. Before I met you, I forgot what it was like to look at someone and smile for no reason. I said I love you Troy Edward Eugene Bolton and I swear I still do." Gabriella vowed in return as she slipped the ring onto Troy's finger.

"Troy, do you promise to love and cherish Gabriella, for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; in good times and bad; as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked. Troy stared into her coffee brown eyes and he smiled lovingly as he squeezed her hands.

"I do." Troy said effectively.

"Gabriella, do you promise to love and cherish Troy, for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; in good times and bad; as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked Gabriella. Letting tears silently stream her cheeks, Gabriella smiled at her husband and nodded her head.

"I do." Gabriella managed to say without breaking down crying.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest optimistically announced. Troy and Gabriella smiled as they looked into each others eyes, not daring to blink. Troy's sapphire eyes glittered as he cupped Gabriella's cheeks into his hands and he gently caressed both her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. Finally, he moved in slowly and he captured her lips with his own. Gabriella smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms around Troy and she deepened the kiss. They remained like this for several breathtaking moments before they released each other's lips. Gabriella smiled at her husband, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you." Gabriella whispered out as the tears continued to fall from her chocolate eyes. Troy smiled lovingly into her eyes as he stroked her cheeks, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

"I love you too Mrs. Bolton." Troy whispered back before quickly kissing her lips and then embracing her gently.

When they released each other, Gabriella immediately found Ethan and she wrapped her arms around him and gave him endless kisses on his cheeks, while Troy went over to Vienna and he scooped her up in his arms. He placed several gentle kisses on her cheeks as he walked over to Gabriella and Ethan and he and Vienna joined in on their hug. Troy kissed both Vienna and Ethan as he held them close to him and Gabriella. Slowly, Gabriella and Troy released them from their grasps and Ethan took Vienna from Troy's arms and he kissed his little sister's cheek several times. They were still closer than ever.

Gabriella then found herself in the arms of Sharpay and Taylor who congratulated her several times while giving her friendly kisses on her cheek. Troy found himself shaking hands and hugging Chad and Ryan who were very proud that Troy was still making the right decisions for himself and his family. Troy then hugged his mother who was crying tears of joy as she had witnessed a magical moment between her son and the woman she considered her daughter. She let go of Troy so she could congratulate Gabriella and allow Jack to congratulate his son. Troy hugged his father and thanked him with a smile. He had always aspired to be like his father as a little boy growing up. It always seemed so special to him growing up.

"Thank you." Troy whispered to his father. Jack chuckled as he looked down at his son and he grinned. He was still his little boy. No matter how many times he had to be reminded of Troy's age, Jack would always see Troy as that little five year old boy who thought he could beat his father in a basketball game.

"I love you son." Jack told Troy. Troy smiled and hugged Jack one more time before he ran up behind Gabriella and he scooped her up in his arms and he grinned as he looked into her eyes.

"Are you ready for an adventure?" Troy asked her with a wink. Before Gabriella could even ask, Troy started running towards the shore of the beach and soon Troy ran deep into the water, still holding onto Gabriella. Troy and Gabriella laughed as they got out far and listened to the sounds of their friends and families cheers. When they were deep in the water, Troy dropped Gabriella from his arms and she sank into the water, not even caring if she ruined her hair and makeup. Troy wrapped her up into his drenched arms and he planted a hungry and lusty kiss on her lips. Gabriella allowed Troy's tongue to enter her awaiting mouth and she moaned as his tongue explored her mouth. Several moments later, Troy pulled himself away from Gabriella and he rested his forehead against hers.

"You look just as you did at the first wedding." Troy mumbled as he brushed a kiss across Gabriella's forehead. Gabriella smiled as she swam herself closer into Troy's body.

"We never changed. We stayed the same." Gabriella assured Troy. Troy smiled as he ran a hand through Gabriella's wet hair.

"I really do love you. We've been through a lot this past year and I do believe that the unfortunate experience that we all had to go through just made me realize…I really can't live without you or the kids. You, Ethan and Vienna are the most important people in my life and I will go through that hell again, if it is to keep you guys safe. I love you Gabriella. I always will." Troy lovingly promised Gabriella. Gabriella smiled and allowed warm tears to mix with the water that soaked her cheek.

"I love you too Troy. I know we had a lot of ups and downs last year but the fact that we stayed together just proves how much love we have for one another. You're an amazing father and an incredible husband. I really do love you. And I don't want you to forget it." Gabriella vowed once more to Troy. Troy smiled as he cupped her cheek into his hand and he gently caressed her cheek several times with his thumb.

"I never will." Troy promised as he pulled himself in and he captured Gabriella's lips in a passionate kiss once more. Gabriella smiled against Troy's lips as she returned the kiss and moved into Troy's hand that was still placed on her face. Their lips parted once more, but Troy's hand remained delicately placed on her cheek. Gabriella's eyes wandered to the beach where everyone was entertaining themselves with dancing and conversation. A grin soon erupted on Gabriella's face.

"So…how soon do you want to have another kid?" Gabriella asked with an over exaggerated wink. Troy grinned back at Gabriella as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"How soon can we leave?" Troy huskily asked as he captured Gabriella in yet another kiss, that was filled with love and longing.

**The End**

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_**That there is the end everyone! I'm saddened but also relieved that this story was a success and that so many of you enjoyed it. Every review, every PM and every compliment truly made me smile and you are all my greatest inspirations for this story. I may come out with a new story, so keep an eye out for it! I would like to thank the following people for reviewing my story:**_

_**Hinata-37**_

_**Zanessatroyella4evr620**_

_**TheDiamondPrincess**_

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_**XxTwilightHSMxx**_

_**Music is happiness**_

_**dancinluva20**_

_**BiLlAbBoNg**_

_**Mini princess93**_

_**Kateg20**_

_**xxZZBABEY18xx**_

_**Gabriella Montez Bolton**_

_**TwilightDisneyFutBolLuver**_

_**Kro22**_

_**nikkisfam0212**_

_**Start-Of-Something-New**_

_**cj10824**_

_**1HSMWiLdCat**_

_**Palmbeach**_

_**smartgirl231814**_

_**BabyBex**_

_**Clarefisher**_

_**Shootingforthestars**_

_**Kebarrera**_

_**Theresa**_

_**TotitPookax3**_

_**supergoose3**_

_**Loutje555**_

_**Melissa**_

_**Jenna**_

_**Ruusukainen**_

_**XLiving-The-Dreamx**_

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_**Huni-Bun17**_

_**magaret09**_

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_**Zvforever**_

_**Ihearttroyella**_

_**GeorgiaGirl2010**_

_**Anonymous14**_

_**Shalomgirl**_

_**Maximum Baudelaire**_

_**PokieDots**_

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_**zanessa22**_

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_**Ella**_

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_**ZanessaFan28**_

_**Confused**_

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_**Kadithecutie**_

_**Stupid-Fairy**_

_**Foreverzanessa**_

_**marebear11**_

_**Casstudies**_

_**Merribishop**_

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_**Zanessa4Lyfe**_

_**Live-in-dreamland1**_

_**Brittany**_

_**zanessaforever18**_

_**SUPERNATURALfreakisJOBROFAN19**_

_**TroyellaxZanessaxfan**_

_**BabyStarStruck**_

_**cutiepie1010**_

_**WhiT9217**_

_**M & n & j**_

_**.beat. rhyme.**_

_**peace92love**_

_**Neutron Phantom**_

_**Bella**_

_**Rach x**_

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_**Weirdozgirl**_

_**Xzanessarawrx**_

_**Pinkie0496  
**_

_**

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_**If I forgot ANYONE who reviewed before this chapter, please let me know so I can add you in. Thank you all so much again! I love you all greatly. **_

_**Alanna xo**_


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